Leave the lights on
by AiraChica
Summary: "I know that it's a secret and that I gotta kept it, but I want the lights on." In a universe where Arnold and Helga never met as children, they both find themselves teenagers with only one parent. When Miriam and Miles got together, neither of their children ever imagined how so many twisted turn of events could lead them to fall in love with each other.
1. I'll never see her again

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**Summary: **_**"I know that it's a secret and that I gotta kept it, but I want the lights on." In a universe where Arnold and Helga never met as children, they both find themselves teenagers with only one parent. When Miriam and Miles got together, neither of their children ever imagined how so many twisted turn of events could lead them to fall in love with each other.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Since you clicked on this story, I am assuming you are ok with this semi-taboo we have got going on here, but I need to say this anyhow: If you have a problem with the subject of the story just DON'T READ IT. I don't want to get reviews saying: "Oh, this is so disgusting, they are supposed to be stepsiblings, ew!" No, they are supposed to be step siblings, it's not the same thing, not to me at least. But if you have a problem with it anyhow, that's your deal, but then just don't read this, ok? Any review that is basically about how disgusting the subject is will be deleted because I have already warned you all!**

**Now that the "warning" is done with… Hi there! Welcome to my new long-termed story! Yay! I have been wanting to write this since I finished **_**Blackmail toy**_** in… God, May 2014 O.o Have I really been writing for that long? :O Anyways! This will be a long journey I believe, like, it'll be **_**really**_** long xD It might become summer before this is done, let's see, shall we? :P By the way, the title is inspired by the song "Leave the lights on" by Meiko, which is a song about lovers hiding, but the girl wanting to show their love to the world. I recommend listening to it because it's a **_**really**_** good song!**

**Enjoy! :D**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: "I'll never see her again"<span>

The blonde teenager was packing his things into his bag as quickly as his hands could to the surprise of the classmates around him. "Arnold, where do you need to be since you're in such a hurry?" Gerald, the blonde's best friend asked as he quirked one of the dark eyebrow above his brown eyes.

Arnold smirked. "My dad told me he's got some big news he had to tell me after school so I want to get home as quickly as possible." He explained and shoved the last book in his bag.

"Good news?" one of the other boys, called Sid, asked as he readjusted his signature green cap on his black-haired head.

"I'm hoping so." Arnold said with a chuckle and pulled his bag over his shoulder, waving the boys goodbye before heading towards door.

"Hey, Arnold!" one of the other boys said, causing Arnold to stop and look at him curiously. Harold moved his hand to behind his neck awkwardly. "How are you… doing?"

Arnold quirked an eyebrow. "How I'm… doing?" he asked with a bit of disbelief in his voice. Harold wasn't known for being the sensitive type who would ask how you were feeling even if he had all the reason in the world to ask.

Harold waved his hands around in defense. "I'm just wondering." He explained and waited for Arnold to answer, which he noticed the rest of the boys were too and even some of the girls who had picked up on their conversation. They were all worried about Arnold, but he wasn't sure if he liked all the attention he had been getting because of it.

"I… I'm ok, I guess. Still a little, you know, but… I have my dad now." Arnold answered with as much bravery as he could, but his heart crumbled whenever he remembered. He waved goodbye at the others one last time before hurrying out of the classroom and eventually to the street.

Arnold was staring at his feet as he walked, having decided to skip the bus in order to avoid his classmates. He knew it wasn't fair, they were just worried about him after all, but he hated being reminded of it.

Arnold had lived most of his life without his parents and was raised by his grandparents instead. His dad, Miles, and his mom, Stella, were both amazing people who were well-known for traveling through the tropics, studying and helping different tribes in the world. Through the years, before they had Arnold, they had grown particular fond of a tribe called The Green Eyes; they were Indians with characteristic green eyes, which people even today claimed Arnold had inherited from them. His green eyes were _very_ green after all.

Stella and Miles had lived with The Green Eyes for many years and hadn't planned to change that even when Arnold was born, but they soon realized the jungle was too dangerous for him to be in and so they had traveled back home to Miles' hometown Hillwood. Arnold had barely turned one year old before they were called back to the village. An old friend of theirs called Eduardo had told them of a plague haunting The Green Eyes and since the tribe had saved their lives more than once, they couldn't possibly leave them to their dismay. And so, Arnold had been left with his grandparents, all of them thinking they would return in a few weeks. They didn't.

Arnold almost flinched when he heard the bus stop in front of him. He hopped inside, paid for his ticket and sat down at the nearest empty seat, silently praying no one would decide to sit next to him as he kept thinking about all the stories his grandpa and grandma, Phil and Gertie, had told him about his parents when he was a child. He hadn't believed most of them until he had found his dad's journal and realized that his parents truly were heroes.

Arnold missed his parents every day even if he was happy with his grandparents. When he had found Miles' journal, he had found a map to San Lorenzo, the place where The Green Eyes' village was supposed to be. He had only been ten when he found the map and had insisted on going even though his grandparents tried to talk him out of it. They didn't want to lose their grandson as well and so, he couldn't bring himself to go until he was older.

When Arnold was fifteen, he tried to talk with his grandparents about it again, but they still weren't too fond of the idea. They had lost a son and a daughter-in-law already, so he didn't blame them, but he couldn't live the rest of his life without knowing what had happened to them and so he had decided to leave. As if it was destiny though, a few days before Arnold had planned his trip to begin, Miles had appeared on the doorstep like a ghost coming back from the dead.

Arnold had at first been so happy that he didn't even think about where his mom was, but when he realized and asked his dad about it, his happiness fell to the ground. The reason his parents hadn't come home as soon as they had planned was at first because the plague had been more severe than they thought. They stayed for two years before the plague had finally been contained and they could go home.

On their way home though, an earthquake had forced Miles and Stella to separate in order to save their lives. Miles had watched as Stella had fallen through the earthquake, but had refused to believe she was dead. He had searched for her for all these years, praying that the strongest woman he had ever known was strong enough to survive in the jungle on her own. When they finally found her, she was unrecognizable, but Miles recognized the necklace with The Green Eyes' symbol around her neck, which was nothing but bones at that point. And so, he had finally gone home to reconcile with his son, but also share the sad news.

Arnold had hid himself in his room for days after that, refusing to come out even to eat. It just wasn't fair and he hated that he hadn't gone to San Lorenzo earlier. He insisted he could have saved his mom even though he knew that was a lie. Stella had been dead for a long time when they found her; it was a miracle the necklace hadn't rusted beyond recognition. Miles had brought it home and given it to Arnold as a memory and even to this day, he still wore it. He had worn it the same way he used to wear the blue hat his parents had bought him for his first birthday. Ever since the day he had finally come out of his room, he had decided to be grateful for what he got. One parent back was better than none at all. All that happened a year ago.

Arnold jolted when he was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of someone sitting next to him. He sighed silently and looked at the person for a moment, looked away, but then back at her. It was a girl around his age wearing some baggy black jeans and a pink hoodie. She moved the hood down from her head, revealing beautiful blonde, wavy hair under it and she blinked her light blue eyes as she looked at her cell phone.

Arnold didn't realize he was staring until she looked at him. He looked away instantly, hoping she wouldn't call out on him, but she didn't seem to care and simply looked at her phone again. Arnold's eyes traveled towards her again curiously. She was bopping her head and he was wondering why until he noticed the earplugs in her ears. He strained his ears, trying to hear what she was listening to, but all he picked up on was that it was some sort of rock. It was loud at least in his opinion.

Suddenly, the girl removed the earplug from her right ear and shoved it into Arnold's right ear. He flinched in surprise, but didn't remove it as he just stared at her in shock. She was looking at him casually, but there was a hidden smile on her face.

"You were curious, weren't you?" the girl asked a little mockingly and moved her foot up to her thigh, resting it on it.

"Uh, n-no. I was just, um… I'm sorry." Arnold finally admitted, but the girl didn't respond. She wasn't even looking at him anymore and just let him listen to her music. He listened for a bit and then looked at her again. "Halestorm?" he question curiously.

She turned to smile at him. "You know them?"

"Well, yeah…"

"But you don't like them?"

"They're… not my style." Arnold admitted.

The girl snickered. "Yeah, I figured as much. You don't strike me as the type." She said as she eyed him, obviously laughing at his clothes inwardly. He was wearing what he usually wore; a pair of dark blue jeans and a plaid shirt, on this day the green one.

Arnold frowned at her comment and removed the earplug from his ear to give it back to her. "You can't judge people by what they wear." He said.

The girl just snickered again though as she put the earplug back in her ear. "Yeah, right. We choose what we wear and we can judge people by their choices, can't we?" she asked, turning the volume down on her cell. Arnold looked at her in surprise as she kept talking. "I'd say I can guess a few things about you and all I know about you is what you look like."

Arnold smiled curiously. "Try." He insisted and crossed his arms.

The girl removed her earplugs altogether, humming as she looked at him. "You're a soft, sensitive kind of guy. You care about your friends and your family and are well-liked. Your taste in music is probably something like… reggae or jazz or something soft like that, you don't like heavy or loud music. You're straight, but have a hard time picking up girls because you always end in the friend zone because you're such a nice guy." She stated casually, smiling once she was done.

Arnold blinked in shock. He stared at the girl who just waited for confirmation of what she had just said. He frowned stubbornly. "I don't like reggae." He stated.

She snapped and leaned her head towards him. "Damn it. Almost had it all." She said, snickered and leaned back.

"I don't think normal people could figure all that out." Arnold said, smiling at the intriguing girl.

"Who said anything about me being normal?" the girl huffed.

"Don't tell me you're psychic?"

The girl snickered in disbelief. "It's the power of observation. You don't need to have behavioral psychology at a high level in order to figure out such basic things about a person." She said.

_Basic?_ Arnold repeated in disbelief. "So you take psychology?"

"Yes, because I find people _so_ interesting." The girl bellowed sarcastically.

"Why did you take it then?"

"Didn't I just tell you?"

"You sounded sarcastic…"

The girl smiled. "See? Power of observation." She said before punching his shoulder playfully. "Yes, I was being sarcastic. My mom thought it'd be a good idea for me to study psychology because I'm such an antisocial character."

"Antisocial?" Arnold repeated in disbelief. _This girl? The girl who started a conversation with me, a complete stranger, on a bus?_ He thought.

The girl hummed. "Perhaps not as antisocial as hated by most people. I've been called a heinous bitch." She stated casually, completely unfazed by what she had just told him.

Arnold's eyes widened. "Why would anyone call you that?" he asked.

She looked at him. "The same reason why you'd say a catholic priest wouldn't make a good babysitter." She said and grinned. "It's the truth."

Arnold didn't know what to say to that. He had never met a girl who spoke so harshly and joked about things that probably shouldn't be joked about. She gave him the feeling that he should stay away from her, but he couldn't help but be curious about her.

He was about to ask her about her name, but she suddenly stood up. "Well, this is my stop. Thanks for the chat, Football Head." She said casually and walked towards the door.

_Football Head?_ Arnold thought in disbelief. He knew he had an oblong-shaped head, but surely it wasn't quite that oblong, was it? Before he could think more about it, he turned and sat on his knees on the seat. "W-Wait! Please tell me your - - " he said, but she was already gone. He sighed heavily. _Damn._

"Dude, you have to be quicker than that." The boy who was seated behind Arnold said to him. Arnold nodded before turning his back to him and sliding back in his seat.

He looked out on the street, watching the blonde girl walk across the road towards a house that made Arnold's eyes go wide. _She lives there?!_ He thought as he stared at the big house. He kept looking even as the bus started driving, all the while thinking that yes, maybe you could judge some people by their clothes, but she wasn't one of them.

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><p>Arnold was still thinking about the strange girl once he reached Sunset Arms. It was the same boarding house he had been living in since he was a child. Miles had been talking about maybe moving to a house of their own, but Arnold didn't like the idea of being away from his boarding house family and his grandparents.<p>

Arnold opened the door and moved to the side just as a horde of different animals ran outside. He snickered at the familiar sight before he walked inside, calling his dad's name to tell him he was home.

"I'm in the living room!" Miles yelled just before Arnold heard someone, presumably his grandma, smack him on the head with something out of paper.

"Don't shout inside the house!" Gertie said with a shout of her own.

"Sorry, mom." Miles said with a snicker and looked at Arnold as he walked inside. "Hi there, Arnold. Sit down." He said and gestured to the armchair next to his own. Arnold nodded and waved at his grandparents who were sitting on the couch next.

Arnold sat down next to his dad. "So, what is the big news you had to tell me? Is it good?" he asked, noticing how his grandpa started to wave his hand from side to side, indicating that he wasn't sure whether it was good or bad.

"Dad." Miles scolded and looked at his son again. "You remember me mentioning I thought we should move, right?"

A frown came on Arnold's face instantly. "You've… found a place?" he asked, sincerely hoping the answer was no.

"Not as such. More like I have decided we definitely should move at some point in the near future. We are not moving out of town though and we'll stay as close to Sunset Arms as possible."

Arnold sighed at his words, but nodded obediently. He decided to look on the bright side as he usually did in situations like these; moving to a new place might turn out to be interesting and Miles had promised to find something nearby. Arnold could live with that.

"Tell him _why_ you want to move." Phil said as he crossed his arms, an insulted frown on his face. Arnold looked at his grandpa curiously before looking back to his dad who looked more than a little nervous. He hadn't thought there was any special reason behind wanting to move, he thought maybe Miles just wanted some peace and quiet with his son after everything that had happened through the years.

"Well… Arnold, I, uh… I've met someone." Miles said nervously and sighed once he had said the words.

He looked at his son who looked like someone who had seen a ghost. "Someone as in… a woman?" he asked.

"Well, not a man." Miles joked, but could see that Arnold didn't find it amusing. The blonde boy stood up, walked to the middle of the room and just stared at the carpet. He tried to come to terms with what he had just been informed. He knew it wasn't fair to expect Miles to stay alone forever, but there was a part of Arnold that thought Miles would never get over Stella. She was the love of his life after all.

"Well…" Arnold said, took a deep breath and turned to smile at his dad. "When will I meet her?" he asked, deciding to face things head-on. Who knew; perhaps she was really kind. Maybe a mother figure wouldn't be too bad even if he was sixteen years old and hardly was in any need for a mother anymore.

Miles sighed in relief and patted on the chair next to him. Arnold sat down obediently, earning a hug from his dad for his understanding way of handling it. "Thank you so much." The blonde man said and released his son before removing a tear from his eye. Arnold smiled; Miles had obviously been scared of telling him.

"Well, that was boring!" Phil stated childishly. "You should have thrown more of a tantrum, Shortman."

Arnold frowned at his grandpa's words, despite him using his old nickname, which also happened to be their last name. "I am not here for your amusement, grandpa." He insisted, snickering when the almost 90-year-old man blew a raspberry at him.

"Arnold." Miles said and earned his son's attention once more. "The reason why I'm telling you this _now_ is because… well, because I didn't want to tell you until I was sure it was serious."

Arnold gulped at those words; he sounded so, well, _serious_. "And… it just got serious?" he asked and Miles nodded. "What kind of serious?"

Miles took a deep breath, obviously nervous again and that just made Arnold more anxious. "I asked her to marry me and she said yes." He said so quickly that Arnold had to focus to hear what he said. His eyes widened again. It was too much to take in and eventually, he let his head fell backwards. He landed on his grandma's lap, ignoring the stabbing feeling of two different armrests pushing at his back as Gertie petted his head as if he was one of her many street cats.

"When… When did you meet this woman?" Arnold asked, not sure what else to ask. His mind was blank, it was too much to handle at once. Not only was his dad dating some unknown woman, he was going to _marry_ her?

"About a year ago when I came home." Miles answered. Arnold bolted right up, staring at his dad in disbelief who started waving his hands in defense. "I-I didn't start dating her straight away naturally!"

Arnold visibly relaxed, but he was chewing on his lips in frustration. "What happened?" he asked, hoping to gain some time to think before his dad would force him to say what he was thinking about all of this.

Miles sighed. "When I first came home, there was a part of me that still hoped Stella would somehow return to me… Of course that could never happen. I was at a bar when I ran into this woman. She looked… so sad and lost that I couldn't help but wonder if we were in the same boat. I started talking to her and she told me she had just divorced her husband whom she had been with for more than twenty years. She was scared and felt alone and so did I. I came back to the bar the next day and there she was. Eventually, I asked her if she would go out with me and… the rest is history."

_History…_ Arnold repeated in his mind, shook his head and started massaging his temples. He didn't know what to think. It was one thing that his dad was dating a new woman, but that he was going to marry her was too much to take in. "Tell me again why you haven't told me about her till now?"

"I wanted to be sure it was serious. I didn't want you to maybe get attached to a woman who might turn out to be nothing like I thought or something." Miles explained.

Arnold nodded; the explanation made sense, but he still felt left out. "When… When is the wedding? What… Where are we going to live? Who is this woman? Does she have children of her own? And why don't I know all these things already?!" he asked in anger and stood up to walk through the room aimlessly.

"W-We haven't decided that yet, I proposed to her last night! We don't know that either, but she agrees to stay in Hillwood and as close to Sunset Arms as possible, she's not picky. Her name is Miriam and - - "

"And what?" Arnold hissed.

"She has a daughter." Miles continued calmly. "Well, two technically, but the older one is 28 years old and lives in Paris so I don't think we are going to meet her anytime soon."

Arnold relaxed at those words. "A daughter?" he repeated.

Miles nodded eagerly. "She's around your age, but a half year older. I haven't met her yet, but… I was hoping the four of us could go out to dinner together. You know, get to know each other and give you kids a chance to meet." He said.

Arnold went quiet. He recalled wishing he had a sibling in his childhood, most of all because he felt so lonely. He always thought it could have been nice to have someone share the pain with, someone who understood it. He had his dad now so he had forgotten about that wish ever since, but now he started wondering what it would be like again.

Arnold closed his eyes, trying to imagine it; him, his dad, this woman named Miriam and her daughter in a house together like one of those picture perfect American nuclear families you always saw on TV. He couldn't help but smile at the thought; it did seem nice after all.

Arnold sighed. "I just want you to be happy… so if this woman does that then I won't stand in your way." He insisted.

Miles looked ready to cry as he stood up to wrap his arms around his only son in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you so much, my boy!" he said excitedly and kissed his forehead. As soon as he had done that, both males stared at each other awkwardly. Miles quickly patted his son shoulder clumsily and coughed as he walked towards his parents. "W-Well then, is tonight all right with you?"

"Sure… Can I head over to Gerald's first though?"

"Of course. I'll call Miriam and tell her about the plans and then I'll text you when we have the details settled, ok?" Miles said and shot his son a smile before the teenager jogged out of the room. Miles turned to look at his parents. "Do you think he was being honest…? When he said he was ok with this?"

"He never said he was ok with this, you nut ball, he just doesn't want to be selfish." Phil retorted with a huff and stood up from the couch.

"Why are _you_ so angry though?" Miles asked with a frown.

"You're taking my only grandchild away from me! I raised that kid while you were in San Lorenzo looking for your wife." Phil answered with a somewhat childish pout.

Miles sighed as he put his hand on his dad's shoulder. "I swear we'll find a house as close by as possible. And if I know Arnold, he'll probably visit at least once a day." He said. Phil frowned at him and Miles did the same. "I know my son, no matter what you think." He insisted.

Phil sighed and nodded. "Oh, all right. But this Miriam woman of yours better be worth it!" he stated before plumbing back down on the couch.

Miles smiled. "Don't worry, dad. She is."

* * *

><p>Arnold had gone to Gerald's house after that to tell him what his dad had told him. The African-American boy had reacted just like Arnold had predicted; even more dramatically than himself. Gerald had almost thrown a tantrum, that's how confused he felt. Arnold had tried to calm him down, telling him to look on bright side, whereas the boy had asked him why he always had to look on the bright side. Arnold had, per usual, told him that somebody had to.<p>

Once Gerald had calmed down, Arnold got a text from Miles telling him where they were going tonight and at what time. Arnold knew the French restaurant Miles had decided upon; he had been at Chez Paris a couple of times through his life and knew the place had a dress-code, so he decided to say goodbye to Gerald and go home in order to change.

When Arnold and Miles were in the Packard, Arnold started to feel nervous. His leg was bouncing and he looked out the window at the different building they passed by. He was about to meet his stepmom and sister… What if they didn't like him or if he didn't like them or the daughter didn't like his dad and what if the dinner was a disaster?

"Calm down." Miles said and rubbed Arnold's shoulder. He could hear that his son had been about to start hyperventilating so he decided to try to calm him down. "It's going to be fine. She's going to love you."

"Who?"

"Miriam, of course. I've told her a lot about you and she already adores you."

That made Arnold feel a little better, but he was still nervous. "What about her daughter?"

Miles hesitated at that question. "Well… Miriam says that Helga is, uh… a little special."

"Special?" Arnold asked curiously and couldn't help but think about the girl he had met earlier. She was definitely _special_.

"Yes, she can be, um… a tad outspoken."

"Outspoken?"

Miles sighed. "Arnold, Helga didn't have it easy growing up. Miriam knows she's been a bad mother and her husband was an even worse dad. They focused a lot on Olga, Miriam's oldest daughter, and Helga was kind of forgotten in the process. Miriam hasn't told me all the details, but she says that Helga is truly a good girl when she wants to be, she's just… acting out due to what happened when she was a child. Miriam says it's gotten better since she divorced her ex-husband Bob and Helga got away from him."

"Was Bob… abusive?"

"Verbally, yes."

_Well, now I feel bad._ Arnold thought and looked out of the window again. "Should I be careful what I say?"

Miles snickered. "You should just follow your instincts, Arnold. You've got good ones." He said and saw that Arnold smiled at his words and started to relax.

Arnold tensed again though when he saw they were already outside Chez Paris. He gulped nervously as Miles parked and Arnold quickly jumped out of the car to get some air. After inhaling and exhaling a couple of times he looked towards the restaurant and eyed the people standing around it. There weren't a lot of people so his eyes naturally felt on the one person sitting on the bench.

Arnold's eyes widened. _No way._ He thought when he recognized the blonde sitting and smoking on the bench. She wasn't wearing jeans and a hoodie anymore, now she was wearing a pink dress and her long hair went below her shoulder despite it being tied in a ponytail. She was still sitting with her ankle on her thigh in a very boyish way and he couldn't help but chuckle at the odd sight of this ladylike figure in this very unfeminine position.

"You ready?" Miles asked and patted Arnold on his back, gesturing for them to start walking. Arnold walked like a robot, his eyes completely glued on the girl as they approached the restaurant.

The girl then decided to look up towards them for whatever reason and her eyes widened. "Football Head?" she asked with an incredulous chuckle.

Arnold smiled. _She remembers me!_ He couldn't help but think happily and stopped walking. "H-Hi." He said awkwardly.

"Oh, you know this girl, Arnold?" Miles asked with a smile, but didn't wait for him to answer. "You can stay here and talk for a bit with your friend, I'll go inside and try to find our girls." He said with a smile before heading inside.

_Our girls._ Arnold thought and rolled his eyes before he walked towards the blonde girl.

She snickered. "Are you stalking me or something?" she asked as she leaned back casually on the bench, the cigarette resting between her index- and middle finger.

"I swear I'm not." Arnold insisted as he sat down next to her. "I'm here with my dad."

"I could see he was your dad. You have his hair… but your heads are different so I'm guessing you got that form your mom?"

Arnold felt a sting at the mentioning, but hid it and nodded. "Yes, but my mom's head isn't as wide as mine." He answered as his fingers automatically started playing with his mother's talisman.

"I feel bad for her; having to give birth to you." The girl said and leaned closer to him, staring into his eyes.

He gulped nervously. "W-What?"

"Who did you get your eyes from?"

"Huh?"

"They're green. Your dad's eyes weren't green. Are your mother's?"

"Ah, no. Her eyes were brown actually."

"Were?" the girl repeated, but then noticed that Arnold was playing with something. She used her free hand to grab at it and pull it out of his shirt before he could stop her. Her eyes widened. "Nice. What is this?"

"Oh, uh… it's kind of hard to explain. It's a talisman my mom used to wear…"

"Are they Native Americans?"

"Not really." Arnold said with a chuckle. "More like they're… kinda special."

"Well." The girl said and leaned back again, putting her cigarette to rest on her lower lip. "Their son seems quite special too." She said with a smirk before sucking on the cigarette.

Arnold smiled at her words. It had been a long time since he felt this way about a girl. He had just met her so it was nothing huge just yet, but she definitely had his attention. "What are _you _doing here?" he asked.

"I'm here with mommy dearest." Helga groaned sarcastically and let her head fall back over the bench, exposing her cream-colored neck to Arnold. He averted his eyes, suddenly finding his feet interesting. "I hate this place."

Arnold looked back at her at that comment. "Why?"

"Wait. I'm lying." The girl stated and moved her head back up. "I just hate being dressed like this."

Arnold looked at her dress again, but forced his eyes away. "Why?"

"Because I already look more and more like my big sister and if I start dressing like her too, I'll start looking like a copy of her or something."

"I take it you don't like her very much?"

"Football Head's astute observation skills strikes again." The girl said jokingly and grinned at him. "I hate her. She's like a wind-up doll, doing whatever our dad says. She took his side when our parents split and I'm on my mom's side. Well, I wasn't on anyone's side at first, but I've grown to like my mom a little more. She's not so bad now that she dumped my shitty excuse for a dad."

Arnold wasn't sure how to react to the girl's story; her way of thinking and her view on family was so different from his and that just made him all the more curious.

The girl suddenly threw her cigarette on the sidewalk though, stood up and stepped on it with her sandal-clad foot. "Well, sorry, Football Head, but I gotta go. My mom said one smoke and I had to be back." She said and dusted off the back of her dress even though the bench was probably clean.

"I need to get back inside too." Arnold decided and followed the girl inside. He gulped nervously, deciding he didn't want to let this chance slip again. "Hey." He said and she looked at him. "I was wondering… I really like talking to you so I thought maybe we could - - "

"Over here, Arnold!" a male voice said and Arnold forgot what he was about to ask. He looked towards his dad, noticing that he was sitting down at a table next to a woman, whom Arnold presumed was Miriam. The woman had a darker shade of blonde than his and his dad's and her hair was bobbed. She was wearing a pair of light purple, square glasses, which matched the long sleeve-less dress she was wearing.

Arnold smiled. "Hi, dad."

"Hi, mom."

Arnold's head whipped to the side to look at the girl who was staring at him too. They kept staring for a bit before Arnold gasped. "That's your mom?!"

"That's your dad?!" the girl asked in just as much disbelief.

"You two know each other?" Miriam questioned in surprise.

"W-We met this afternoon." The girl, whom Arnold now realized was Helga, answered. She was staring at him in shock, almost in as much shock as he was.

_Well…_ Arnold thought, his brain still trying to process what was going on. _I guess I don't have to be afraid that I'll never see her again._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ok, before anyone complains that Helga seems OOC or something: Like Miles tells Arnold, she's gotten "better" since Miriam divorced Bob. Also, she's older in this, she's almost sixteen. There's going to be more explaining to what happened, but this is all for now ;) I know there was a lot of exposition in this, but I felt it was needed xD Stay tuned for more of you're interested! :D**

**Btw, I attempted to state Miriam and Miles as a couple in this story, but apparently Miles and Stella aren't on the list of characters you can choose O.o I am so pissed!**

**Btw-btw, please do try and draw a cover for this if you want to, I'd might put it here as the official cover :D**


	2. Apples and oranges

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** On his way home, Arnold met a girl who intrigued him more than any girl ever had, but he didn't get her name before she was already off the bus. At home, his dad Miles told him that he had met and fallen in love with another woman. Arnold had ambivalent feelings about the situation since he found out his mom Stella was dead only a year ago, but decided to show his support and agreed to meet both Miriam and Helga tonight at dinner.**_

_**At the restaurant, Arnold was surprised to meet the strange girl once more and they started talking again. On their way into the restaurant, Arnold attempted to ask her out, but was shocked to find out that the girl was Helga, the girl who was his stepsister-to-be.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I don't know what to say and you probably don't care - Enjoy! xD**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 2: "Apples and oranges"<span>

Arnold was still gawking at the girl standing next to him. His brain just couldn't wrap around what had happened. This was a girl he had met this afternoon, one he'd say he might just have started to develop a crush on, but now she was introduced to him as his stepsister to be. He couldn't move even when he heard his dad talking to him.

"Arnold, my boy. What's wrong?" Miles asked, trying to wave in front of Arnold's face, but he was too far away.

"Oh, I think he's just in shock." Helga said and sat down in front of her mom. "He _was_, after all, just about to ask his stepsister out on a date."

"What?!" Miles and Miriam asked in shock and that finally snapped Arnold out of it.

He moved to sit next to Helga, moving his head close to her in order to whisper. "Why did you say that?"

"Am I wrong?" Helga asked defensively, but Arnold kept his mouth shut. He knew it was the truth after all and so he just looked apologetically at Helga's mom. "I didn't know who she was. I'm sorry."

"Oh, sweetheart, don't apologize. I'm flattered on Helga's behalf and you didn't know who she was after all." Miriam said, waving her hand dismissively.

Arnold sighed in relief and looked at Helga who didn't even seem surprised anymore. _I wonder what she's thinking_. He thought and moved his head when she looked at him. He coughed awkwardly and stood up again to give Miriam his hand. "Good evening, I'm Arnold. It's nice to meet you." He said and heard Helga snicker. He shot her a bit of a confused glare.

Miriam chuckled and took his hand. "Hello, Arnold. It's nice to finally meet you." She said, shook his hand and then let go so he could sit back down.

Helga looked over at Miles who was looking back at her. "Hey, I'm Helga and I'm not a suck-up." She said, shooting Arnold a mocking look.

He looked back at her with a frown. _What's with this attitude of hers?_ He thought and shook his head dismissively.

Miles simply chuckled though and looked at Miriam. "You were right, honey. She sure is a pistol." He said.

_Honey?_ Arnold thought and couldn't help but feeling queasy. He looked at Helga, almost snickering as he saw her sticking her tongue out in obvious disgust. She noticed his look and smirked at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

"So, what would you two like to eat?" Miles asked and grabbed a menu from the table. They all copied his action.

Arnold frowned. "This is all in French…" he observed.

"It _is_ French cuisine." Helga said. Arnold looked at her, expecting an arrogant look due to her comment, but she looked pissed off instead. "Don't tell me this is why you brought me here, Miriam?" she asked with a sarcastic smile.

Miriam smiled. "Oh, honey. I'm just so proud of you, that's all."

"Incredible." Helga muttered under her breath before putting the menu back on the table.

"What's wrong?" Arnold asked in a whisper while Miriam and Miles looked over the menu together.

Helga sighed. "I know French. Like, _fluent_ French and my mom just can't get over it." She whispered back at him.

"Well, it _is_ impressive."

"After _three_ years?" Helga asked in disbelief.

"Helga, what is… Les Escargots?" Miles asked in broken French.

Helga smirked. "Oh, it's delicious. You should definitely have that." She said.

"Isn't that snails?" Arnold asked in confusion, remembering watching a movie where a girl ordered les escargot without knowing what it was.

Helga huffed. "You're no fun." She said to Arnold before looking back at Miles. "My mistake. Yeah, it's snails."

"I will _not_ be having that then." Miles stated and looked back at the menu.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what you're in the mood for." She said and looked back at the menu.

"I'd like some soup, dear." Miriam said.

"Vichyssoise it is. Miles?"

"Something with meat, like a steak maybe?"

"Steak tartare. Arnold?"

"Uh… what will you be having, Helga?" Arnold asked and looked at the menu with her.

She smiled. "Coq au vin."

"Which is…?"

"Chicken braised with wine, lardoons and mushrooms. Garlic too, if you choose it, which I usually do." Helga explained.

Arnold smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll have that too." He said.

"Good." Helga said and turned to look at the waiter. "Jacques."

The waiter, apparently named Jacques, looked at Helga, smiled and walked towards her. He started talking in French to her and she answered back perfectly. Arnold watched as she moved her finger across the menu, as she spoke the items on the menu and he wrote them all down, nodding while listening to her. He gave her one last comment before bowing for her and walking away.

"Pompous asshole." Helga stated in a whisper as she readjusted herself in the chair.

"That was really impressive, Helga." Miles said and looked like he was about to clap, but Miriam stopped him by putting her hand on his.

Helga smiled at her mother in appreciation. "Thank you, Miles. I only ever used it when I go to French restaurants, which is rather often because my mom just adores hearing me speak French." She said with a sugary smile only Arnold noticed was fake.

"I'm so happy that you achieved learning another language, Helga."

"Too bad I can't use it for anything."

"Th-That's not true; you just ordered in French, didn't you?" Arnold said, starting to sense some tension between them all.

Helga turned to look at him. "The man may be a arrogant Frenchman, but he _does_ understand English. You would have been fine on your own." She insisted.

Arnold looked towards their parents who were unsure of what to say at this point, so he was on his own. "Uh… w-where do you know the waiter from anyway?" he decided to ask, hopefully changing the subject.

"Nice Segway." Helga said sarcastically, but sighed in surrender at Arnold's pleading look. She leaned back in her chair and started playing with her fork absentmindedly. "I worked here for one summer." She answered.

Arnold smiled, hoping the new subject could lift the mood. "Was it fun?"

Helga smirked sarcastically at him. "Hi-la-ri-ous." She answered and looked back at her fork.

Arnold looked at Miles for help, but the man simply shrugged. Miriam sighed, holding a hand to her forehead.

"Uh…" Arnold muttered. "When, um… when did you find out about our parents?"

Helga stopped playing with her fork, but still held it and looked at Arnold curiously. "What do you mean? I knew from the beginning." She answered nonchalantly, unsure why he had felt the need to ask that question to begin with.

Now it was Arnold's time to go sour. "Oh." He said and looked accusingly at Miles. "I was told _today_."

Helga's eyes widened and she dropped the fork back on the table. "You're kidding." She said and looked at Miles questioningly.

Miriam slapped her hand on Miles' arm. "This is why I told you to tell him earlier." She said a little accusingly, but also a little lazily, Arnold noted.

"Well, to be fair it's not really the same situation, Miriam." Helga said and looked at Arnold who looked questioningly at her. "You told me earlier, right?"

Arnold continued to frown confusedly.

Helga sighed. "That your mother's eyes _were_ brown?" she reminded him and his eyes widened.

"Oh… yeah." He said, realizing he had in fact indirectly told Helga that his mom was dead. He didn't think she had caught up on such a small detail, but she obviously had. He could feel Helga's eyes on him despite him not looking at her.

"Uh, Miriam, mind if Arnold and I go get some air?" Helga asked, but stood up before he mom could answer.

"S-Sure, honey." Miriam answered in a stutter.

Arnold looked at Helga questioningly, but stood up compliantly when she moved her arm under his and started pulling him out of the restaurant. He followed her clumsily until they reached the bench. She finally let go of him once they had sat down and she moved her feet up to the bench, crouching on it.

"Sorry about that." Helga said casually. Arnold simply shook his head, telling her it was fine and watched her as she took a cigarette out of her pocket along with her lighter. It was black with a pink skull on it, but that's not why Arnold was frowning.

"How long have you been smoking?" he asked.

Helga hummed thoughtfully as she turned the cigarette on and took some small breaths on it before exhaling. "Uh… since Miriam divorced Bob, I think." She answered, but she seemed unsure of her answer and she shrugged. "Maybe before, I don't know."

Arnold decided not to ask any further; he didn't want to risk angering the girl. "Why did you pull me out here?" he asked instead, hoping it didn't sound like he was dissatisfied because he really wasn't.

Helga shrugged. "I needed to get outta there and I thought you might feel the same. It's tense as hell in there." She said as she pulled her leg away from under her and sat down properly on the bench.

"Yeah… it's weird. I've been an only child my whole life… I wanted a sibling when I was a kid and now I kind of have one."

Helga smirked. "You have _two_, bucko. Olga just isn't here." She said, pronouncing her big sister's name in an odd way that made Arnold chuckle.

"Is it weird?"

"What is?"

"Knowing your mom is going to get married again?"

"Not really. I feel bad for your dad though."

Arnold blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Helga looked at him with a somewhat cold, indifferent look. "She's going to break his heart." She stated confidently without a single shred of doubt in her mind.

Arnold stared at her for a moment before he started frowning. "How do you know that?" he asked in incredulity and shook his head. "You can't possibly _know_ that."

"I know my mom. I admit, it surprised me that she had the balls to leave my dad, but Miriam will always go back to her old ways no matter how long she pretends to be someone else." Helga said. Arnold was about to say something, but she beat him to it. "You see, Arnold, most people have this thing called a sixth sense that tells them when they are facing a person who is probably going to break their heart. _You_ don't have that sixth sense, we established that when you tried to ask me out earlier. And now we can establish that your dad doesn't have one either."

Arnold kept scowling at Helga. He was furious at her; not for saying he and his dad were in need of a sixth sense, but for being so negative about the whole situation. People changed, people grew; she didn't know if Miriam really had changed. He was about to tell her that, but then she stood up and threw the cigarette down to the ground.

"Take my advice, Football Head." She said as she stomped on the cigarette. "Advise your dad not to marry my mom… for his own sake."

* * *

><p>Arnold felt sick to his stomach. The dinner last night was an absolute disaster. After his stepsister-to-be had advised him to get his dad out of the marriage, he had felt so awkward around them all. It didn't get any better once his dad and he were home. Miles had tried to ask him why he had gone so creepily quiet, but Arnold had told him he was tired and he would tell him tomorrow. That was a lie of course and Miles realized that when he woke up and Arnold had already left for school.<p>

_I feel bad…_ Arnold thought as he imagined what his dad must be thinking about him right now. _I wanted to support dad in this, but what Helga said really bothers me_.

Arnold could feel his classmates' curious or worried stares and he finally sighed as he looked at them. "Who dares ask first?" he asked a little jokingly.

Rhonda, the class gossip, was quick to sit down next to him. "What was the big news your dad had to share with you?" she asked with a smile and Arnold sighed.

"Bad news?" Sid asked as he sat down on one of the tables with his feet on the chair.

Arnold shook his head. "Not bad news, more like… bad content."

Sid and Rhonda looked at each other. "Isn't that the same thing?" Rhonda asked.

Arnold looked at Gerald for help and the dark-skinned boy sat down next to him, patting his back. He wasn't informed of everything yet, but he knew the essence of the ordeal and so, he decided to tell the others what Arnold had told him yesterday.

"_What_?!" Nadine shrieked in shock, pulling on her blonde afro in the process to show how surprised she was.

"I don't get it. Isn't that a good thing? Your dad is moving on." Sheena said matter-of-factly.

"You don't get it, do you?" Nadine asked and started to explain to Sheena why she thought it was horrible.

Arnold heard the chair next to him move and he looked at the red-haired girl who had now sat down next to him. "Arnold, are you ok?" Lila asked, putting her hand on top of his.

Arnold smiled at her and held her hand in his. "I'm kind of ok… It's just a lot to take in." he answered, deliberately hiding the last few details from last night. He didn't have it in him to tell everything to them all just yet and he didn't have _any_ plans to tell them that he had almost asked his stepsister-to-be out. He could do without the humiliation. Also, he didn't want Lila to know. She seemed to have changed her mind, maybe?

Lila and Arnold were what you'd call an on-and-off couple or more like they couldn't decide whether they wanted to try and be together or not. Lila always changed her mind and Arnold would be left either feeling hatred for her or wishing she could at least make up her mind. For now, that hadn't happened yet and there was a part of him that still hoped she would come around and they could get together for real.

Arnold then started to think about Helga. That was perhaps the first time in a couple of years he had attempted to try with someone else besides Lila. Lila had in fact not at all been on his mind whenever he talked to Helga and he hadn't once compared the two girls to each other. He snickered at the thought; they were total opposites, so how come he had felt attraction towards them both?

When the class started, Arnold decided to focus on the lesson even if just to keep his mind off things for now. It barely worked and when it was lunch, he felt like his brain was fried.

"Arnold?" Lila's sweet voice said and he looked up at her. "Would like to join me for lunch?"

Arnold smiled, nodded and followed her to the cafeteria. They were quiet as they grabbed their food and eventually sat down near a somewhat secluded table. Lila seemed to be waiting for Arnold to say something first, but he refused.

"Is there something you haven't told the others about your dad's fiancé or something?" Lila decided to ask.

Arnold flinched. Lila had always been an observant girl, sometimes more than to his liking. "Uh… yeah, there is something else." He admitted and watched as Lila nodded, trying to probe gently at him. He sighed. "Uh, my dad's fiancé has a daughter who's, uh… I don't think she's too fond of the marriage."

"And what makes you say that?"

"She basically told me to tell my dad to break off the engagement. She insisted Miriam would break dad's heart."

"Did she say why she thought that?"

"Uh, something about…" Arnold said and frowned thoughtfully. "Something about Miriam pretending to be someone else, but would go back to her old ways at some point."

Lila hummed thoughtfully. "I assume you haven't told your dad about this?" she asked and Arnold shook his head. "Perhaps you shouldn't."

"You think?"

"I don't know if Miriam's daughter is right or not, but by telling your dad to break off the engagement, he might misunderstand and think you don't want him to get married. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Of course not! But who knows if she's right?"

"Do you trust this girl? You just met her after all; she might just not want her mom to get married for her own reasons."

Arnold groaned and let his forehead fall to the table. "It's not that I don't trust her… It's just that my dad seems so happy." He insisted as he thought about the way Miles had smiled at Miriam last night. He had never seen his dad smile like that before he didn't want to be the one to take that smile away from him.

"The most important thing is your dad's happiness, but also that he doesn't think you're against this marriage. Just tell him you'll support him as long as she makes him happy. Your relationship with your dad is what's important." Lila said and patted his hand.

Arnold smiled at her; Lila never failed to make him feel better. "Thanks, Lila." He said.

"You're ever so welcome." The redhead answered only to cover her mouth with her hand. "Oh, sorry." She said in a muffled voice.

Arnold sighed. "You shouldn't care what Rhonda thinks." He said.

It had happened about a month ago when Rhonda had been in an exceptionally bad mood and Lila, in her kindness, had tried to calm her down. Lila had this special habit when she spoke; she would add 'ever so' into as many sentences as she possibly could and Rhonda had, in her anger, told her that was _ever so_ annoying. Ever since then Lila had tried to get rid of that habit, but sometimes she would forget.

Lila shook her head. "No, no. It's not only Rhonda. I've been told it was annoying before." She insisted.

"You still shouldn't care what others think, Lila." Arnold maintained half-heartedly. He had to admit that sometimes Lila's speech habits could annoy him as well in certain situations, but she should be allowed to talk any way she wanted to.

"You're so sweet, Arnold, thank you. I always feel like I can be myself around you." Lila said kindly and Arnold smiled brightly. He loved it when she was like this; sweet and honest. He understood her when she was like this, but other times she was confusing. She couldn't make up her mind half the time and that was perhaps, rather than her speech pattern, what annoyed him about her the most.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day went by in a flash and before Arnold knew it, it was time to go home. He was walking with the boys, who were all relieved to see Arnold in a better mood.<p>

Sid suddenly wolf whistled. "Yowsa. Hottie, 12 o'clock."

The boys turned to look in front of them and noticed a girl standing near the gates. She was wearing a pair of black stockings, which seemed too thick for the summer weather, and a much too big hoodie that went down to just above her knees. She was obviously hot because she was pulling the collar on her hood back and forth in order to create wind around her.

Arnold recognized the blonde girl instantly. "Helga?!" he shouted in shock and she looked at him.

"You know this girl?" Sid asked with a sleazy grin and readjusted his clothes when he saw the girl heading towards them.

Gerald smacked Sid at the back of his head. "That's Arnold's stepsister." He hissed and looked at the blonde boy worriedly, but he didn't show any signs of discomfort.

"Hey, Football Head." Helga greeted.

"_Football Head_?!" Harold repeated in incredulity and started laughing manically.

Arnold sighed, shooting Helga a bit of a displeased look. "Hi, Helga. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What? Can't I visit my new bro?" Helga joked. Arnold was about to apologize, but she waved him off. "Naw, Miriam thought it could be fun if we all pretended to be a nuclear family from the 60's and go on some cheesy picnic so she tied me to the backseat of the car and here were are. She already called your dad so we are just here to pick you up."

"A picnic?" Arnold questioned.

"Oo-de-lally, that sounds like fun!" Stinky bellowed in his thick southern accent. "Are you gonna have lemon pudding?"

"How nice; to have a picnic with your whole family." Eugene said, wearing his signature naïve smile on his face.

"Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts." Helga said and nudged her shoulder against Arnold's before she started walking. "Come on, slowpoke. We're gonna go bond like a family."

Arnold frowned at Helga's words, waved his friends goodbye and quickly caught up with her. "Why is it your so negative about this marriage?"

"Because I saw what Miriam was like during her first one." Helga answered matter-of-factly and looked at him as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

"How do you know she hasn't changed?"

Helga stopped walking and waited for him to stop and turn to look at her before she spoke. "Have I understood you correctly when I say this means you won't tell your dad to break off the engagement?"

Arnold crossed his arms stubbornly. "Yes." He answered.

Helga shook her head. "Even after I, out of the pure kindness of my heart, went out of my way to warn you, you're still going to let your dad get hitched to my mom?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, selfish much? I misjudged you."

Arnold frowned deeply at that. "I am not being selfish! Quite the opposite, I'm not going to stand in the way of my dad's happiness because of _your_ gut feeling."

"What would I gain from them not getting married, bucko? Have you thought about that? Why would I bother warning you unless I cared just a little bit." Helga said, gesturing between her index- and middle finger for effect. "Yes, I'm telling you this because of my gut feeling, but you're the one being selfish for not at least warning your dad, but _fine_, it's _his_ funeral. Don't come crying to me when you see him do the same thing in the living room all by himself." She said and walked past him.

Arnold's eyes widened as he looked at her; his eyes were practically burning holes in her skull. Now he didn't know what to think anymore; he had been so sure that the selfless thing to do was to not tell his dad about Helga's warning, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He sighed as he followed her obediently, not at all looking forward to the family picnic.

* * *

><p>Arnold was surprised at how nice the whole scenario was; Miriam had gone out of her way to make some sandwiches for them all, called Miles and invited him for the picnic and then gone to pick both Helga and Arnold up from school so they all could go to Hillwood park and eat their food there. The scenario was great… the execution, not so much.<p>

_Don't say anything. Ignore it_. Arnold chanted inside his head as he chewed on the very _chewy_ sandwich Miriam had given him. He had asked for one with egg salad, but now he was starting to wonder if the eggs were rotten.

He noticed Helga looking at him, but didn't say anything as she smirked at him. "How does your sandwich taste, Arnold?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes.

_She knows_. Arnold thought and forced a smile. "Heavenly. Why don't you have a sandwich too?" he asked, the smile fading into a challenging scowl.

"Hell no. I know my mom's cooking." Helga said and looked at Miriam.

"Please, Helga. At least try one little bite? I did my best." Miriam said, seemingly not hurt by the words at all.

Helga looked at Arnold's sandwich and then grabbed his hand. The boy didn't have any time to react to what she was doing until she had already taken a bite of his sandwich. He would have started blushing if it wasn't because of the way Helga started looking at him.

She chewed for a second and then scowled at Arnold. "Liar." She whispered.

"S-Sorry…" he whispered apologetically as she leaned back, took a tissue and spit the food out in it.

"Miriam, mind telling me if you checked the expiration date for those eggs?" Helga asked and choked a bit as she grabbed her water bottle. She hadn't even dared drinking any of the lemonade her mom had made.

"Oh, yes, of course. I have the carton right here in fact." Miriam answered and started rummaging through her bag.

"Why did you bring the carton?"

"I was planning to throw it out on the way here, but I forgot." Miriam explained as she handed it to Helga who turned it around until she found the expiration date. She licked her lips, feeling her insides churn at the sight of the number and then moved it towards Arnold so he could read as well. As soon as he saw the date, the taste of rotten eggs went straight to his nostrils and he felt himself puking before he knew what was happening.

"Arnold!" Miles said worriedly and patted his son's back as he threw up on the grass next to him.

"Miriam, the eggs expired like two months ago." Helga said, her nose scrunched and she visibly shivered as she put the carton away.

"That's impossible!" Miriam bellowed unhappily and took the carton. "See? It says expires in June." She said and showed it to Helga.

The blonde girl shot her a slanted look. "We're in _August_, Miriam." She groaned irritably and rolled her eyes.

Her mother hummed in realization. "Oh, Arnold, I am so sorry." Miriam said and her shoulders fell.

Arnold shook his head. "No, no. It's ok." He insisted. "It could have happened to anybody."

"Yeah, but it seems to happen to Miriam a little too often." Helga commented and offered her water bottle to Arnold. He grabbed it thankfully and took a small sip. He was about to give it back to her, but she shoved it back to his chest. "Chug it all." She insisted and he smiled gratefully before drinking of it again.

Miles was consoling Miriam who tried to smile at him, but it didn't work. Arnold looked at Helga who seemed rather indifferent and that bothered him. Why was she so harsh towards her mom? He just didn't understand. Ok, so Miriam had made a mistake, big deal. No one was perfect after all.

Miriam suddenly perked up when Miles had whispered something in her ear. "Oh, yes. Helga! I have some news for you. Well for you _and_ Arnold actually." She said excitedly.

Helga looked at Miles. "You didn't knock her up, did you?" she asked, earning a playful slap on her shoulder from Miriam. "That's a no, right?" the blonde girl confirmed and sighed. "Fine, what is the news?"

"Remember how you told me you wanted to switch school?" Miriam asked with a big grin.

Helga perked up at that. "Yeah?" she asked, not daring to believe it just yet.

"Well, congratulations, sweetheart. I've done all the paperwork and you are now officially not a student at P.S. 219 anymore." Miriam explained and barely managed to open her arms before Helga had thrown her arms around her.

"Oh, thank you so much, Miriam! I've been waiting to get out of that hellhole since I started!" Helga bellowed happily.

Arnold was shocked at the sight, but couldn't help but smile as well. _She does care about her mom after all_. He decided.

Helga sat back, seemingly a little embarrassed about how happily she had reacted. "But, Miriam, what made you change your mind?" she asked.

Miriam was all giddy after having been hugged by her daughter and she smiled broadly at Miles. "Well, I talked to Miles about it, you see and he told me that Arnold really likes _his_ school P.S. 2_18_ so I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity." She explained, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Helga's smile faded a bit. "Wait. What does that mean? Have you registered me at P.S. 218?" she asked as she pointed at Arnold. "The same school as Football Head?"

"What's wrong with my school?" Arnold asked insulted.

Helga waved her hands. "Nothing." She insisted as she looked at him. "But isn't it a little awkward that we'll be going to the same _school_? I remember when Olga worked as a student teacher at my middle school; it was a _nightmare_."

"That's kinda apples and oranges, isn't it?" Arnold asked and successfully annoyed Helga, but the girl didn't get a chance to respond.

"Oh, it'll be fun, Helga. You two will get lots of chances to get to know each other as classmates." Miles insisted.

"_Classmates_?!" both blonde teenagers bellowed, only to then stare at each other and groan. Helga started growling like an unhappy dog as she massaged her head while Arnold simply sighed, attempting to listen to Miles' and Miriam's excited banter about how fun it was going to be to have their children at the same school. _Great_. Arnold thought. _I've gone from crushing on her to disliking her within 24 hours and now she's going to be my classmate… This is awkward_.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ok, before anyone bites my head off due to the Lila thing… it's for the sake of the story later on, ok? I get the creeps just writing about Lila in that sense, but to everyone else feeling the same: don't worry. It's just for the sake of development ;)**

**Also, I wasn't sure what to call their school since they are in high school now and not middle school, but I figured P.S. 218 would be realistic enough xD**


	3. Faint scent of vanilla

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After discovering that Helga was the girl who was going to be his stepsister, Arnold was more than a little embarrassed at the table. After a roller coaster of a conversation, Helga pulled Arnold out of the restaurant to talk with him. Without much of a warning, she told him to tell his dad to break off his engagement with her mom for their own sake.**_

_**Helga's words wouldn't leave Arnold's mind the next day, but Lila managed to calm him down with some soothing words and a bit of advice. That advice was shot down though when Helga came to pick Arnold up after school and told him it was more selfish not to warn his dad against Miriam than the other way around. At a picnic Miriam had planned, she told her daughter she was going to switch school, which Helga was happy about at first, until she found out she was going to start at Arnold's school.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: TO THE GUEST REVIEWER WHO POINTED OUT THAT A FRENCH RESTAURANT WOULD USUALLY HAVE AN ENGLISH MENU: Yes, I agree with you, but in both of episodes of Hey Arnold! where they visit Chez Paris, it's pointed out both times that this restaurant doesn't have an English menu; if they had, Helga wouldn't have ordered calves' brains and eggs by mistake in **_**Arnold's valentine**_** and she wouldn't have had the chance to "brag" about her French skills in **_**Dinner for four**_** if Arnold hadn't asked for an English menu ;) I would usually write this kind of message privately to people, but since it's a guest reviewer they don't have a profile here so I can't write to them personally. I hope he/she sees this though :3**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: "Faint scent of vanilla"<span>

At two opposite parts of the town Hillwood, two different blondes were currently getting ready for school; one for yet another day at the same place and the other for a new day at a new school. Both blondes were afraid of how this day would go and how their classmates were going to react to this development.

They arrived at P.S. 218 around the same time and they stared at each other outside the gates. The female blonde sighed. "Don't tell me you've been waiting for me to get here?" she asked.

The male blonde shook his head. "No, this is a coincidence, but… I guess it's a good thing. I can show you where our classroom is." He said and shrugged.

Helga sighed and followed Arnold dutifully, but in annoyance. She looked around as they walked through the school, noticing that they were getting a few odd stares from the other students.

Helga leaned closer to Arnold. "Uh, are people staring at us?"

Arnold looked around and then back at her. "It's a small school and you're new. It _is_ the start of the year, but you missed a week so I guess that's why they're curious?" he suggested.

Helga groaned. "Do me a favor, bro. Keep my close; I get pissed off easily by this kind of attention." She admitted and scowled at a younger girl who shrieked before running off.

"Just… don't beat anyone up, ok?" Arnold joked.

"No promises." Helga stated and Arnold went bug-eyed.

"You're kidding… right?" he hoped. She looked at him for a moment and then shrugged. _She is joking, right? Right?_ Arnold thought with slight panic before they walked into the classroom.

People didn't notice them at first, but soon Gerald noticed Arnold and said hi to him, which Helga noticed created a kind of domino-effect. "Are you really popular or something?" Helga whispered in Arnold's ear.

He shivered in surprise at the way her breath had tickled him. "I wouldn't call it that, but I guess I'm well-liked." He answered with a humble smile. She looked at him curiously and noticed that people were looking at her now.

"Hey, aren't you Arnold's stepsister?" Gerald asked curiously.

"To be." Helga added and she nodded.

"Oh, so you're the new student?" someone said behind Helga and said girl flinched as she turned around and saw an older woman standing behind her.

"Jesus, don't sneak up on me like that!" Helga bellowed in shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." The teacher said in a chuckle.

"You're the one who should be scared; my natural instinct when someone sneaks up on me is to swing my fist at them. Ask a former classmate of mine." Helga said, holding her right wrist as if she had to hold it down.

The teacher looked frightened for a moment, but then chuckled nervously as she walked towards her desk.

Arnold pulled on Helga's arm gently. "That was a joke, right?" he asked in a whisper.

"Hell no. Brainy was my personal stalker through my childhood. I've broken his glasses on more than one occasion." Helga replied louder than what Arnold had in mind and so, the classmates heard her.

"Maybe I should take your example." A girl with black hair said as she looked at a black-haired male who was making goo-goo eyes at her. Arnold knew that was Rhonda and she probably didn't mean it, but part of her probably did.

"Mr. Shortman, please take your seat. Miss Pataki, would you join me up here for a bit?" the teacher asked and readjusted her pencil skirt. Helga was obviously not too keen on the idea of standing in front of everyone like that, but Arnold pushed her softly towards their teacher before he went towards his own desk. "My name is Mrs. Oah." The woman whispered in Helga's ear.

The blonde girl simply nodded. _Oah? Where is she from?_ She wondered, but lost interest quickly.

"Now, everyone. This comes as a bit of a surprise to us all, I was only informed of Helga Pataki's arrival yesterday, but I want you all to welcome her into this class. Would you like to tell them something about yourself?"

Helga looked at the woman in disbelief. "I am of the opinion that if people want to get to know me, they'll ask me themselves." She responded, not as cruelly as Arnold had expected, but still enough to make the teacher go quiet for a bit.

"W-Well, then perhaps I can say something about you?" the teacher suggested, but didn't wait for an answer. "Helga Pataki's old English teacher called me and told me I was so lucky to get her in my class; she said she is really going to miss you." She said to Helga who tried to stop the woman, but she didn't notice. "She told me that Helga has an extraordinary gift when it comes to poetry and even sent me a poem of hers. Oh, Miss Pataki, I absolutely adored it. Any chance you might read it aloud to us?" she asked and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.

Helga grabbed the woman's hand tightly, shooting her a warning look. "Mrs. Oah, this is my first day at a new school and I'd prefer not to bring too much attention to myself." She said warningly and gestured for the woman to give her the poem.

"Oh, uh, sure, I understand." Mrs. Oah said as she gave Helga the paper. She watched as the girl curled it into a ball. "I have your poem on my computer. Do you want me to delete it?" she asked in concern.

Helga shook her head as she looked towards the trashcan. "As my English teacher you'll get to read more of my poems anyway so I don't get why you'd want to keep it, but go ahead." She said before she threw the paper ball over her shoulder and used her foot to kick it towards the trashcan. It fell in perfectly and it left everyone stunned.

"Nice." Sid muttered under his breath.

"I just don't want anyone _else_ to read my poems. Is that all right, Mrs. Oah?" Helga asked. The teacher simply nodded, still staring at the trashcan. "Where am I supposed to sit?" Helga asked and looked around, noticing _one_ empty seat in the classroom. _Oh, fuck my life_. She thought, holding back a groan.

"Well, your mother told me that Arnold is going to be your stepbrother when she marries his dad so she requested to have you two sit together if possible." Mrs. Oah answered nervously.

"What fun." Helga said with an artificial quirky grin before she headed towards the deck Arnold was sitting next to.

"Hey, what was your name again?" a girl asked just as Helga was about to pass her. She stopped to look at her. The girl had short, black and bobbed hair and was wearing an expensive looking red dress. She recognized her as the girl who was the love interest of the creepy looking guy behind her.

"What is _your_ name?" Helga decided to ask with a fake smile.

"Rhonda Wellington Lloyd." The girl introduced herself as, flipping her hair as she did so and smiling as if she was on a catwalk. "Now, what was your name?"

"Helga G. Pataki."

"G? As in _gangster_?" Rhonda joked, earning a laugh from a mulatto girl with blonde afro.

Helga smirked. "That's for _you_ to find out, isn't it?" she asked sarcastically as she leaned threateningly closer towards Rhonda who was starting to look a little nervous.

"Helga, huh?" she repeated and then chuckled. "You don't hear that too often. It's not a very feminine name, is it?"

"Oh, yes, and Rhonda Wellington Lloyd doesn't at all sound like the name of a pretentious poodle." Helga retorted, earning a chuckle from the girl with the blonde afro.

Rhonda shot the girl a hateful stare. "Nadine." She warned the she stopped chuckling immediately, but her face was still contorted into a grin.

"Girls, girls." Mrs. Oah said and they both looked at her. "Please, you can… _get to know_ each other later. Miss Pataki, please take your seat."

Helga shot Rhonda one final look before sitting next to Arnold. Helga moved her foot up on the chair, half crouching on it as she waited for Mrs. Oah to begin the lesson.

The woman was looking nervously at Helga though. "Miss Pataki, would you be so kind to remove your foot from the chair?" she asked, her fingers twiddling.

Helga looked down at herself and then moved her foot away so quickly that Arnold flinched in surprise. She moved it over her knee, almost sitting with her legs crossed though not really and looked up at Mrs. Oah. "Better?"

The teacher sighed. "As long as your foot isn't on the chair or table…" she answered and turned towards the board, but then remembered something. "Mr. Shortman? Since Helga is your stepsister will you be so kind to take it upon you to teach her the ropes around here and show her around?"

Arnold and Helga looked at each other in disbelief, only to silently groan and look away. _This is going to be a long day_.

* * *

><p>Once the first lesson was over and it was time for recess, Helga noticed that Rhonda grabbed a couple of girls by either their hand or by order and got them out of the room faster than humanly possible. "I'll bet you five bucks that your self-announced queen is talking trash about me right now." She whispered in Arnold's ear.<p>

Arnold wanted to insist that she was wrong, but he knew Rhonda too well to do that. "Rhonda can be a little… uh…" he tried and scratched his neck thoughtfully.

"A pain in the ass?"

"I was going to see moody, but that works too."

"I'm going to go and bust her." Helga stated before he stood up.

"I'm not so sure if that's such a - - and she's gone…" Arnold observed as he watched Helga jog out of the room.

It didn't take the blonde long before she found whom she was looking for; she could hear said girl talking in a high-pitched voice. "Can you believe her?! It's her first day and then she acts like that. Who does she think she is? Trying to act like some dangerous riot girl."

"I seem to have made quite the impression, huh?" Helga asked and started leaning at the corner of the hallway casually.

Rhonda, along with three other girls, flinched when they saw her. "Oh, hi, Helga." The taller brunette said with a smile while the mulatto one, the one named Nadine if Helga remembered correctly, waved awkwardly. Helga looked towards the shorter girl with cheeks that matched her hair. She was staring at Helga curiously and Helga wasn't sure how to react to that.

"Look, _Helga_." Rhonda said and crossed her arms. Helga copied her action, successfully earning a scowl from the ravenette. "I don't really like your attitude."

"Well then we have something in common, I guess. Remember you were the first one to start this, princess."

"How was I the first one to start this?!"

"Um, do the words _not a very feminine name_ ring a bell in that bloated head of yours?" Helga asked as she knocked on said girl's forehead.

Rhonda swatted her hand away. "Well, it isn't."

"Who cares if it's not feminine? _You_ do, obviously, since you felt the need to point it out. What? Do you have a problem with me because you know I could fuck you up if I wanted to?" Helga asked, stepping closer to the girls. Rhonda reacted by putting her hands up towards her face in defense and Helga snickered. "I'm not going to hit you even if I kinda want to." She said as she pushed Rhonda's hands down and smirked at her. "Wanna start over?"

Rhonda looked at Helga's extended hand in disbelief. She looked at the other girls for guidance, Helga assumed, but one of them simply shrugged while the others didn't react at all. Rhonda turned to look at Helga, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but then she took her hand.

Helga purposely tightened her hold around Rhonda's fingers, eliciting a pained groan from the girl. "Remember: I _can_ fuck you up if you decide to give me enough reason to." She warned before letting go.

Rhonda gasped as she stretched and bended her fingers painfully. "You're a such a psychopath!" she hissed, but went quiet when she saw the boys approaching them.

"Hey, girls. Wanna join us in the park?" Gerald asked as he gestured with his skateboard.

"Ew, no thanks." Rhonda answered and shot the girls a warning glance before they answered. They all shook their heads like puppets following their master.

"I'll go." Helga answered and stood next to Arnold for effect, smirking at Rhonda who shot her a hateful glance. "I left my board at home though."

"_You_ skate?" Sid asked in disbelief as they started walking. "The girl who writes poetry?"

Helga groaned. "See." She said and pointed at him. "Those kind of comments are the reason I don't tell people about the poetry."

"No kidding. That's really embarrassing when you're this kind of girl." Harold stated.

"_This_ kind of girl?" Helga questioned.

"You know, a cool girl."

Helga hummed and smiled at Arnold. "Mind if I borrow yours, bro?" she asked and eyed his skateboard.

"Sure." Arnold answered with a smile and then looked over his shoulder to look at Rhonda furiously talking to the girls. "Uh, what were you all talking about before?"

Helga looked over her shoulder and snickered. "Oh, just about boys and nails and shopping and hair and, ugh, I can't do it." She said and gestured as if she was puking. "I busted her trash talking me; I think I already made an enemy."

"Don't beat yourself up too much; Rhonda makes enemies really fast." Gerald said.

"And I do too; _Shit_, we have more in common than I thought." Helga cursed, earning a laugh from the boys around here as they walked out in the school yard.

"So, Helga. You any good?" Gerald asked while Sid stood on his skateboard.

"I don't know; what counts as good?" Helga asked as she watched Sid jump onto a low bench, using the nose of the skateboard as the only thing keeping him from falling back to the concrete and then jumped down.

"Can you do _that_?" Gerald asked to specify his earlier question.

Helga shrugged. "Sure, but I prefer the BS darkslide over the noseslide." She answered.

Harold stared at her in disbelief. "You can_not_ do a darkslide." He insisted. Helga rolled her eyes and gestured towards Arnold who gave her his skateboard obediently. As soon as Sid was out of the way, Helga skated towards the bench, flipped the skateboard around so she was sliding on the other side of it, flipped it again and jumped down on the concrete.

She skated back to the boys who were all staring at her in disbelief and flipped the skateboard so it landed in her hand. "Close your mouths, boys. Bugs may find their way in there." She said.

She gestured for Arnold to take his skateboard back, but he shook his head. "No way. I want to see what else you can do." He insisted and pushed it back at her.

"Yeah. Hey, can you do this?" Sid asked challengingly and got back on his skateboard. Helga snickered as she followed him on Arnold's skateboard.

"Dude, you have like the coolest sister ever!" Gerald bellowed in surprise. "Wanna trade?"

"Timberly's a sweet girl; don't be so hard on her."

"Yeah, but would she go and skate with me? I think not." Gerald stated as he watched Helga copy whatever Sid did perfectly.

"I love your sister!" Sid shouted, which caused Helga to laugh loudly. Arnold smiled at her and she smiled back. _She really is cool_.

* * *

><p>"I swear to God, it's like we already live together." Helga said as she walked next to Arnold. He nodded. Right before the day was over, Miles had texted Arnold and told him to bring Helga home with him. Apparently, Miriam wanted to make up for yesterday's lunch failure and now wanted to make them all dinner. That meant spending basically the whole day together as a family since it wasn't even close to dinnertime.<p>

"Step back." Arnold warned when he opened the door into Sunset Arms.

Helga flinched as she watched all the animals run in front of her and out on the street. "Who the fuck owns all those animals?" she asked in disbelief, still staring at them as she followed Arnold inside.

"I don't know." He answered and closed the door behind them. She shot him a confused look, but decided to question him about those animals later. "Hi, dad!"

"Hi, son! Hi there, Helga." Miles said from inside the living room.

"Want to come to my room?" Arnold asked somehow awkwardly. Lila was the only girl he had ever had in his room and that was back in fourth grade due to an assignment and nothing else.

"Uh, sure. I just wanna have a word with Miriam about dinner first." Helga said and walked through the living room. She heard Arnold walk up the stairs, but she was more interested in where her mom was. "Uh, Miles? Where's Miriam?"

"Oh, out in the kitchen." Miles answered, bopping his head to the side towards the kitchen.

"Why is she out there already?"

"She said she wanted to practice first." He explained, his eyes following the words in his newspaper robotically.

Helga hummed before heading towards the kitchen. Like Miles had said, Miriam was indeed practicing cooking. She was studying the oven right then and was experimenting with several pots and pans on each hotplate.

"Miriam, what are you doing?" Helga asked in disbelief.

Miriam turned to look at her and smiled. "Hi, sweetheart. How was your first day in school?"

"Pretty good; the boys seem to like me, the girls not so much. Anyways, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to question your actions."

"What do you mean?"

"I've known you my whole life and the only time I've ever seen you turn on the stove was to light the occasional cigarette."

"Well, Helga…" Miriam said unsurely. "People grow, people change."

"People get drunk while watching the food channel." Helga retorted.

Miriam shot Helga a panicked stare before she gestured for her to approach her. Helga did so a little suspiciously and leaned closer to her mom. "Helga, I haven't had a smoothie since Miles proposed and - - "

"Stop calling them _smoothies_." Helga said, making air quotes around the last words. "We both know what you actually put in that blender."

Miriam sighed. "Nevertheless… I haven't used my blender since Miles proposed and I plan to keep it that way." She insisted and leaned back up.

Helga crossed her arms. "I give it a week." She decided before turning around to walk out of the kitchen.

"Helga!" Miriam hollered unhappily.

"I'll be in Football Head's room." Helga told both Miriam and Miles as she hurried up the stairs.

"He's in the room at the end!"

"Thanks, Miles!" Helga answered before jogging through the hallway. She looked around and listened to the sounds coming from each room. From one of them, she could hear a woman yelling and a man trying to calm her down. From another she could hear some soft guitar playing and from a third, she heard the sound of a hammer against rocks. She stopped in front of Arnold's small staircase and turned to look at the different rooms. _What a nuthouse_. She thought before walking up and opening Arnold's door.

The owner of the room was currently sitting on his floor in front of his TV with a console in his hands. "Hi, Helga. Uh, do you mind if I…?" he asked as he gestured towards the game.

"Naw, go ahead. I'll watch." Helga answered and flopped onto his bed to look at the TV. She narrowed her eyes and then snickered when she recognized the game. "_Tomb Raider_? Isn't that game old as shit by now?"

"It's the new game."

"It's not new anymore. It came out in 2013."

"I was a little slow in getting it." Arnold admitted before Lara Croft screamed in the game as she died. "I can't believe it. I keep dying at this part!"

Helga leaned closer and watched as Arnold went through the same part again and died miserably once more. "Um… you _do_ realize you can just blow them all up with one arrow, right?" she asked and looked at him over his shoulder.

Arnold frowned and looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked and leaned his head against his bed, close to Helga's stomach though he didn't realize that.

"You see the barrels standing around them?" Helga asked as she pointed at the screen. "If you shoot a fire arrow at one of them, the whole fucking place will blow up like the fourth of July."

Arnold blinked a couple of times in disbelief. "You're _kidding_." He insisted.

Helga rolled her eyes before she snuck her arms around his neck, taking the controller out of his hands. "The hell I am." She insisted and started moving Lara on the screen. Arnold felt his heart starting to beat quicker at the feeling of her arms almost around him, but he ignored it and tried to focus on what she was doing in the game.

Like Helga had said, as soon as the fire arrow hit one of the barrels, it blew up and killed the enemies on the screen. Arnold stared at the dead men, the same men he had spent about an hour attempting to kill last night and had given up in frustration when he couldn't.

"See?" Helga said as she gave him the controller back and laid on the bed on her back.

Arnold stared at the screen for a bit before turning around and smiling at Helga. "How did you know that?"

"I've played it, bucko." Helga answered as she swung her whole body around until her head was resting on the edge of the bed and she was looking at the ceiling. "I have it on the computer though."

Arnold couldn't help but snicker in disbelief. He knew some girls played video games too, but he had never met one before. Most of the girls in his class were perhaps closer to the stereotype than Helga was. She was anything but stereotypical.

"What other games do you play?" Arnold asked, forgetting all about _Tomb Raider_.

"Hmm… mostly horror or action games. Like Amnesia, Outlast, Alien: Isolation… Sims 4." Helga listed.

"You play Sims?" Arnold asked in surprise. It wasn't a game that resembled the others after all.

"It's a good way to shut your brain off. Besides…" Helga said and rubbed her hands evilly together. "I like coming up with ways to kill them."

Arnold snickered. "Why doesn't that surprise me…?" he wondered, earning a small whack to his head from the blonde. He couldn't help but smile adoringly at her. He was definitely starting to feel comfortable around her. "Hey, wanna play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Helga asked as she stretched.

"Hmm… _What would you do if_…" he muttered and thought for a moment. "If your mom colored her hair?"

"Hm." Helga hummed thoughtfully. "Depends on the color, I guess, but I think my first thought would be that it was an accident. Miriam would never have the guts to make that big a change."

"Doesn't getting a divorce and getting re-married count as big changes?"

"That wasn't _her_ changing, it was merely switching one man out with the other. It's not the same thing." Helga insisted, ignoring the frown Arnold shot her. "My turn? Ok, _what would you do if_… you went bald?"

Arnold readjusted his small blue hat on his head. "I'd probably get a bigger hat."

Helga started laughing hysterically. "Oh, I can't top that!" she acknowledged before sliding down the bed and eventually landing next to Arnold, still on her back and her legs on the bed.

He eyed her position for a bit before he turned around and copied it. "You know, it's a small thing, but I think I've noticed a habit of yours; you sit in weird positions."

Helga snickered. "Yeah, probably. I haven't always done that, but I think since I hit puberty I've changed a lot in general." She looked at him and put her index finger between her eyebrows. "I had a unibrow as a child."

"Really?"

"Yep, but, and I don't know why, one day I just looked at it and went: I don't want to look at that anymore." She shrugged. "Olga did the same thing though she refuses to admit she's ever had a unibrow. We both got it from our dad."

"What was he like anyway?"

"Ok." Helga said. "Imagine the biggest jerk you've ever met and clone him a couple of times before merging them together; that's my dad."

"Is he that bad?" Arnold asked in disbelief, his eyes wide in horror.

"He always called me Olga." Helga told him and that was all the proof he needed.

"Whoa… that's, uh… that's really bad."

Helga looked back at the ceiling, wondering if she really wanted to ask him what she was thinking about. "Football Head? Uh… you never told me about… what happened to your mom." She said softly.

He flinched, but relaxed right after. "Uh… it's not a pleasant story." He said, scratching his neck awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go through the pain of telling the story again.

Helga shrugged. "I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it." She said.

He looked at her, noticing how oddly gently she was looking at him and then sighed. "Ok, I'll tell you."

"No pressure."

"No… I want you to know."

* * *

><p>Once Arnold had told Helga the story about his parents and the things he experienced in his childhood, Helga also opened up to him. She told him about her feelings about her own family, admitting she did want a better relationship with at least her mom and sister, but didn't believe it could really happen because there was so many bad experiences between them all. The heavy subject was dropped at one point and they started playing whatever games on the PlayStation Helga could get her hands on.<p>

They were in the middle of a game when Miles walked in. "Hey, kids. Dinner's - - "

"Hold on, Miles. I gotta kill your son first." Helga interrupted, her tongue pressed between her lips in concentration.

"No, you're not!" Arnold said as he pushed furiously on his buttons.

Helga groaned loudly when her character died. "No…!" she bellowed unhappily, but then chuckled. "I want a rematch!"

"Later, you two. Dinner's ready." Miles said in a chuckle.

"Ok, dad." Arnold said as he stood up and held his hand out for Helga to take. She took it with a smile and hoisted herself up.

"You two seem to be better friends." Miles said with a smile. The two teenagers looked a little awkwardly at each other, taking their hands back to hide them behind their backs, both shrugging innocently. Miles chuckled kindheartedly as he walked down the stairs, listening to his son and stepdaughter chuckling behind him; it was the most heavenly sound he had heard in years.

Arnold, Helga and Miles sat down at the table while Miriam put the dinner on the table. Helga lifted a curious eyebrow at the sight of the delicious food. "You sure you didn't order take-out?"

"Helga!" Miriam scolded, but chuckled at her daughter's insult disguised as a joke.

Arnold nudged his elbow against Helga and bopped his head towards the food when she looked at him. She frowned, having happily forgotten what she had promised to do if she lost this last match. With a sigh, she scooped up some of the pasta salad. She sent the bowl to Miles and looked suspiciously at the food. She gave Arnold a begging glance, but he shook his head and she groaned before taking some on her fork and putting it in her mouth.

Helga chewed for a moment and leaned closer to Arnold. "They're undercooked." She whispered in a muffled voice. Arnold sighed good-heartedly before scooping up some pasta on his own plate and started eating. Helga waited for his reaction and he nodded at her with a sour look. Miriam really was a bad cook.

"Wait. If you were making pasta salad, what were you doing with the stove earlier?" Helga asked curiously.

"Oh, I, uh, wasn't planning to make pasta salad at first, but the first dish wasn't a success so I figured I couldn't go wrong with pasta salad at least." Miriam admitted with a smile.

Helga couldn't help but snort, earning a reprimanding elbow to her arm from Arnold, which earned him a shove right back.

Miles smiled. "See how good friends they've become already." He observed.

"Oh, that makes me so happy, Helga." Miriam said and put her hand over her daughter's. "Especially since I have some news to share with you."

Helga stopped chewing and swallowed instead. "You're still not knocked up, right?"

Miriam slapped her daughter's hand even though she knew was joking. "You have both realized we will be living together once Miles and I are married, right?" she asked.

"Oh, damn. I had just gotten used to our rundown apartment, it was starting to feel like home." Helga retorted.

Miriam shook her head at Helga's comment, but ignored it. "Well, Miles and I have in fact already found a house and the owners are really eager to get it sold quickly so we have to buy it _now_ if we want it."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Arnold asked in confusion, looking at Miles nervously.

"We already bought the house, my boy." Miles answered gently.

Helga choked on the water she had been in the middle of drinking and Arnold patted her back gently, but his mind was one big mess. "Wait. Already? I-I thought we weren't going to move until you two got married."

"Well, that was our plan too, Arnold, but the owners didn't want to wait so we had to buy it now or never and it's perfect. Helga, you're going to love it. You'll have such a big room." Miriam said, hoping her daughter wouldn't throw a tantrum.

It wasn't Helga Miles was worried about though and he didn't have to be. Helga seemed genuinely happy about moving into a proper house and not having to live with rats. The last time she had been at her old house was the day before yesterday and that was only because Bob had called her and told her she had forgotten something in her room, which he had found while turning her room into a man cave.

Arnold seemed to be in complete shock though. "I thought… I thought It'd take a little longer before we had to move." He said and looked at his dad who looked guiltily back.

"Arnold, there isn't enough room in Sunset Arms for all four of us… Not unless you want to share a room with Helga." Miles said. Both teenagers looked awkwardly at each other, silently agreeing that was definitely not an option.

"But…" Arnold insisted. "W-When are we moving?"

Miles looked across the table towards Miriam who nodded encouragingly at him. "Well, Arnold, um… the house is fully furnished because the previous owners wanted new furniture for their new house so it's technically all ready to move in whenever we want to, so… um…" he muttered uncomfortably. Arnold stared at his plate for a moment before he stood up from his chair slowly and walked out of the dining room without a word.

Helga couldn't help but scowl at Miles. "Miles, this is none of my business and frankly, I'm personally happy to be moving, but he's lived here since he was a baby. His grandparents live here too, the people who raised him." She said almost pleadingly. "Is it really impossible to live here?"

"I want that too, Helga, but there's simply not enough room. It's not the same like when Arnold was a child; there are no empty rooms here anymore." Miles said and put his face in his hands in gloom.

Helga watched as Miriam stood up to walk to Miles and console him; Helga decided to do the same for Arnold so she stood up without a word and ran up the stairs and eventually reached Arnold's room. She knocked before entering and noticed him sitting on his bed, his knees pulled all the way up to his chin.

Arnold smiled halfheartedly. "Sorry. Is my dad angry?"

"More like he's sad because he actually wants to stay here too." Helga answered as she closed the door behind her and sat down next to Arnold on the bed.

He hid his face in his arms. "I'm a bad son."

"Quite the opposite." Helga insisted. "You still want them to get married?" she asked and Arnold nodded. "Seriously? Even if it makes you this miserable?"

"I just want my dad to be happy…"

"Ok, ignoring the fact that I've already told you Miriam isn't going to make him happy, then don't you have things reversed?" Helga asked. Arnold looked at her, blinking a couple of times in wonder. "You're the child; isn't it _him_ who's supposed to want _you_ to be happy?"

Arnold thought Helga's words over, knowing it was probably true, but didn't have it in him to mull it over for too long. He let his head fall and his face eventually landed on Helga's shoulder, which caused her to flinch. She looked at him for a bit before patting his back awkwardly. She sighed as she moved her hand up into his hair, nuzzling it soothingly as she rested her cheek on his head.

"It'll be ok…" Helga whispered as kindly as she could despite feeling her heart beat awkwardly against her ribcage. Arnold's eyes widened at her words and for some reason, as he noticed the faint scent of vanilla on her neck, he felt his worries disappear.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I promise this isn't going to be one of those stories where there is this somewhat devastating news at the end of every freaking chapter xD**

**I have never understood why we never saw Helga skate in the show; I don't know, it seems so her in my opinion. Even Arnold skates in the show xD**


	4. Brotherly eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** At her first day in Arnold's class, Helga made quite the impression on both the teacher, the girls and the boys; albeit in very different ways. While the boys thought Helga was the coolest girl they had ever met, the girls were a little iffy about her; Rhonda downright hated her already.**_

_**Arnold was told to bring Helga home with him for dinner and so they got a chance to talk and bonded more than either had imagined. The happiness was momentarily shot down though when Miles told Arnold that he had already found a house he and Miriam wanted to move into. Helga was the one to soothe the blonde boy that evening.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I am so tired as I am uploading this. I didn't want to ruin my **_**one chapter a day**_** streak just yet so I was basically about to bang my head down at the table while I had to re-read this xD Enjoy ~**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 4: "Brotherly eyes"<span>

Arnold wasn't sure what to think about all this. It was the fourth day in a row he was spending time with Helga and her mom. It wasn't that he minded spending time with them at all; it was more the reason behind it that bothered him.

Phil seemed to be the grumpier one though; it was obvious by the way he had his arms crossed and was pouting like a child. "Are we there yet?"

"Dad, we've been walking for about a minute." Miles responded. "And yes, we are actually there soon. I can see the house already."

"What? Really?" Arnold asked in surprise and looked at where Miles was pointing.

"Not bad, huh?" Helga asked and pushed her shoulder against Arnold's. He couldn't help but smile back despise still having mixed feelings about the situation. It did look like a nice house though. "Race you!" she declared before storming off.

"Hey! No fair!" Arnold yelled in a chuckle and followed her.

"I think Helga's really good for Arnold." Miles observed with a smile. "He's taking all this so well thanks to her."

"I think he's good for Helga too. I've never seen her this comfortable with someone she's just met before." Miriam added and took Miles' hand in her own.

Eventually, the grown-ups caught up with the teenagers who had taken it upon themselves to inspect the small garden. They were chatting cheerfully before noticing the basement door.

"Can we go in there?" Helga asked curiously.

"Wouldn't you like to see your rooms first?" Miles asked and the teens ran inside once he had unlocked the door. "You too, dad."

"Say what now?"

"You didn't think I would buy a house without a guest room for my parents, did you?" Miles said as he smiled at Miriam who smiled back.

When Phil understood what that meant, he made an excited whistle and jumped, clicking his heels together in a way you wouldn't expect a man in that age to be able to. He then proceeded to run into the house, leaving Gertie look like the more sane one for once.

"Boys." Gertie joked before following Miles and Miriam inside.

While Miles and Miriam showed Gertie around, who was being uncharacteristically calm, Phil, Arnold and Helga were each exploring their rooms. Arnold followed Helga into hers first though.

"Criminy!" Helga greeted the room. "Not bad. I'll need to pimp it up Helga style, but I've got a lot of space to work with."

"You sure do."

"I have a feeling your room is bigger though." She said with a wink.

"Like a sort of Band-Aid on the wound?"

"Exactly." Helga confirmed, closed the door and walked towards the door in front of her own which led to Arnold's room. "Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be." Arnold answered before Helga opened the door, revealing a slightly bigger room than her own. It was almost empty, per Arnold's request so he could put his stuff in there as soon as possible; the only thing in there was a chimney.

"You have a chimney?" Helga asked in incredulity as she approached it.

"Whoa…" Arnold said as he looked up at the ceiling. He would have to get used not to see the sky every night, but he could always get a projector or something if it felt too weird. "With some blue paint, this will soon look like a bigger version of my room."

"Oh, Arnold." Helga said in a singsong voice and showed him a note she had just grabbed from the top of the chimney. "Miles left you a note here."

Arnold frowned in confusion and approached her to read the note with her looking at it over his shoulder. "_Check out the chimney_." Arnold read and looked questioningly at Helga who moved inside the chimney.

"Oh, man, there's a ladder in here!" she bellowed and started climbing it.

"You're kidding." Arnold said and went down on all fours to look as she ascended the rope ladder. He followed her soon enough and once they were both by the end of the chimney, they could see the roof of the house along with most of the city. "Oh, my - - "

"Criminy!" Helga interrupted.

"You like it, my boy?" Miles's voice asked and the teens looked around in confusion for a moment until Helga saw Miles standing in the garden. She clapped on Arnold's shoulder and pointed at Miles. "I'm planning to change the roof so you can walk around up there. It's not quite the same as Sunset Arms, but is it ok?"

"Ok?!" Arnold repeated in disbelief and looked around in awe. "This is amazing, dad! Thank you _so_ much! I… I can't reach you." He admitted, which caused Miles to chuckle.

"You can hug me later." He joked and went inside the house. Arnold almost blushed at his dad's comment, especially when Helga nudged him teasingly.

They both descended the ladder, but Helga was the first to reach the floor. "So, Football Head. Is it all as horrible as you imagined?" she teased and looked at him once he was done.

He chuckled. "I never thought a new house would be horrible. I'm fully aware that some people might think that a boarding house might be a little… uh…"

"Crowded? In total lack of privacy? Run down?"

"Thanks, Helga." Arnold said sarcastically. "Yeah, all those things, I guess, but it's been my home for so long. Didn't you miss your house when you had to move?"

"Sure, but that was because I changed that house for an old apartment and my new roommate became a rat, and I _hate_ rats. Our situation wasn't the same."

Arnold didn't know what to say to that so he looked away awkwardly. He decided to attempt to at least say _something _though. "You never specified what was wrong with your dad…" he pointed out. _Smooth, Arnold. Gerald would be so proud of you right now_.

Helga shrugged. "He was a jerk; what more do you need to know?"

"I-I know about the Olga thing, but… something tells me that's not all? If you don't want me to know though that's fine."

Helga mulled it over and then smiled. "No, it's ok. I want you to know." She said, repeating his words from last night and then started telling him about her dad.

* * *

><p>At one point, while Helga was once more telling Arnold about her childhood, they found themselves outside in the garden, walking around aimlessly. They were sprawled unceremoniously on the grass, staring into the sky as she talked. At some point, she grew tired of talking and grabbed her cigarette pack from her pocket.<p>

Arnold frowned. "Does Miriam know you smoke?"

"Yeah, but she's got no right to talk to me about bad habits." Helga sneered before turning the cigarette on and exhaling the smoke slowly.

Arnold wondered what she meant by that, but decided not to ask. "You ever considered quitting?" he asked gently.

Helga hummed. "Yeah… when I die." She responded with a chuckle, but Arnold didn't find it too amusing. "What?" she asked and looked at him. "You worried about me?"

Arnold felt the hidden meaning behind Helga's question or perhaps that was all in his mind; nevertheless he heard himself stutter as he answered. "W-Well, sure, you're going to be my step-stepsister after all. I'd like to keep you around." He answered honestly, wondering why his heart was beating like this just because of her question.

Helga didn't say anything at first; she simply studied the cigarette between her fingers. "You mean that?" she asked a little quietly. Arnold looked at her in surprise. Was she seriously considering it? Because he had suggested it almost unconcernedly? The more he thought about it though, the more he meant it.

He sat up and she looked at him. "I do." He answered honestly and seriously.

Helga stared at him for a bit before she started laughing. "Sheesh, no need to get all dramatic on me! I'll stop if you care this much." She said as she sat up, turning the cigarette off by rolling the end of it on the grass.

"R-Really?" Arnold asked in surprise.

"Sure. Why the hell not? I'd like to die of old age and not cancer anyway." Helga said before grabbing her cigarette package and snapping it until she felt the cigarettes inside crack. Arnold looked at her in awe as she let the broken cigarettes fall to the grass

She dusted her hands off. "If Miriam is trying to change, I might as well too." She said with a smile before lying back down in the grass. "But I'm warning you; I'm already a woman of temper. Who knows what kind of monster I'll become while I'm quitting?"

Arnold chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind. You are hereby pardoned from any rudeness until your need for smoking has passed."

"Careful, Arnold." Helga said with a mischievous grin. "You just gave me a free pass."

* * *

><p>The next day in school, Arnold had half expected Helga to have bloodshot eyes from trying to sleep, but only be able to think about how much she wanted to smoke, but she looked oddly normal. She sat down next to him and yawned, but besides that she seemed usual.<p>

"How's it going?" Arnold asked in a whisper.

"How is what going?" Helga asked with yet another yawn.

"You know; with quitting."

"Oh, that…" Helga said, closing her eyes slowly and opening them again. "Yeah, I actually haven't felt any need to smoke at all."

"Really?" Arnold asked excitedly.

"Uh-huh. I'm starting to think I was smoking just because and not because I was addicted."

"Well, that's really great, Helga. Maybe this won't be so hard on you then."

"Yeah." Helga said and grinned lazily. "Or _you_ for that matter. I'd say we _both_ dodged a bullet." She joked as she pointed at his chest. He automatically looked down and she couldn't resist that temptation; she flicked his nose, which made him growl at first, but then chuckle.

"Oh, get a room, you two!" Harold teased from behind them and laughed.

"Oh, ew, Harold! They are stepsiblings." Rhonda insisted in disgust.

"I'd say the keyword there is _step_, Rhonda." Sid interfered with a sleek smile.

"No way! The keyword is _siblings_." Nadine insisted. "They are going to be living together after all. It'd be too weird if they hooked up or something."

While the class seemed to be starting a moral discussion of this particular subject, Arnold started to think about it as well. He had never really thought about what other people would consider him and Helga as and what the norm was. He had been in the early state of developing a crush on Helga when he first met her, but he had also been a little freaked out when he realized she was going to be his stepsister too so that people reacted this way, even due to an innocent joke, shouldn't have surprised him. But there was something, and he would refuse to admit it until the end of the world, in his heart that stung at their words.

* * *

><p>Arnold was still in deep thought on his way home. He was curious after all; how did the society actually look on stepsiblings who might fall in love? There was no law against it, he was almost sure of that since stepsiblings weren't blood-related, but how did others see it? Was it just as disgusting between stepsiblings as it was between actual siblings, just a little bit or not at all? He was still thinking about it when he reached Sunset Arms and he almost forgot the herd of animals. He quickly stepped to the side before they could trample him down and he went inside as he panted in surprise.<p>

"Welcome home, my boy. Have a good day?" Miles greeted from inside the living room.

Arnold nodded, but then remembered his dad couldn't see him. "Uh, yeah." He answered as he shoved his shoes off and put his bag down. "Uh, dad? I need to go and check something on the computer. Is it ok if I come down later?"

"Sure."

Arnold wasted no time before he ran up the stairs, through the hallway, up his own staircase and into his room. He sat down on his bed, grabbing his laptop with expertise and opened it. _Why do I even care?_ He wondered even as he typed the words in on Google and went through the links.

Arnold decided to _rephrase_ his search after he found a link for a porn site. He had clicked on it accidentally and when he realized it was a video, he had quickly exited the page, his cheeks burning red. After having rephrased his searching words, he found some more proper answers. It seemed to be accepted by some and frowned upon by others. Some also seemed to think it was fine as long as it was purely sexual, but there was no feelings involved.

Arnold didn't feel any better after having read those articles and closed his computer with a sigh. He lied down on his bed, staring into the sky. _Why does this bother me so much…? It's not like I have feelings for Helga or anything. They died when I found out she was my stepsister… right?_ He thought and frowned willfully. _Right!_ He insisted and sat up, opening his computer in order to do some homework and get his minds off things.

Just as Arnold's finger touched the keyboard, his phone rang in his pocket. He flinched in surprise before shoving his hand down and pulling out his phone. He gulped at the name on the screen.

"H-Hi, Helga." He said, cursing on the inside for the obvious stutter.

"Hey, Football Head. You're good at math, right?"

Arnold perked up; he wasn't sure why, but he liked the thought of impressing Helga. "Uh, yeah. I understand it at least. You need some help?"

"Don't flatter yourself too much, bucko. There's just this one problem I don't remember the formula for." Helga admitted and started reading her problem aloud.

"Oh, you're at the same place as me." Arnold said and before he could think about his actions, he heard him continue talking. "Hey, if you want to, you could come over here and we could work on it together." He said and felt nervous as soon as he had said it. "W-We'll, I-I mean we're in the same class, right? It almost seems silly not to."

Helga was quiet for a while and Arnold considered taking his suggestion back, but then he heard her hum in acceptance. "Sure. Sounds great. I'll be there in like… ten minutes, ok?" she said and hung up before Arnold could say anything. The blonde boy stared at his phone, wondering if he had truly just invited Helga over on his own. He had just invited a _girl_ over; that wasn't very like him. He usually wouldn't have the guts to do something like that; that was partially the reason why he never got anywhere with Lila.

With inhuman speed, Arnold got up from his bed and darted out of his room. He ran down the stairs and jumped past the last three before running into the living room, where Miles was staring at him.

"Boy, where's the fire?"

"N-Nowhere. I - - hold on." Arnold said and took a deep breath. "Do we have any snacks or something?"

"Top shelf." Miles replied and Arnold hurried towards the cabinet above the TV. "You got a sudden craving?"

"No, uh… H-Helga's coming over to study with me so I just thought, you know…" Arnold said awkwardly, wondering why he felt like he should have kept this a secret.

Miles' grin was implacable. "_Really_?" he asked almost with a sleazy voice, but Arnold knew it only meant he was very pleased.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that, right?" Arnold asked defensively as he grabbed a bag with popcorn in it.

Miles let go of his book and put his hands up in defense. "Absolutely not. I'm glad you two are getting along." He said, ignoring the first ring from his cell before pulling it out of his pocket. "Hi, honey." He said as his eyes followed his son who was on his way into the kitchen with the popcorn in his hands.

"Helga just left, saying she was going to study with Arnold!" Miriam said on the other side of the phone excitedly.

"I know and Arnold's preparing snacks and everything."

"Oh, this is just too precious. I was really worried about what Helga would think about Arnold because her relationship with Olga has always been so hostile, but they seem to make quite a connection."

Miles felt relief flooding through his body, even as he heard Arnold making some panicked sounds from the kitchen, presumably due to him not being able to find something. He nodded at Miriam, even if she couldn't see him. "Uh, hold on." He said. "Arnold?" he called.

"Uh, yeah?"

"If you're looking for salt for the popcorn, I suggest the lower shelf."

After some rustling a grateful thank you came from the kitchen and Miles chuckled. "My son seems to care what your daughter thinks of him. He's always wanted a sibling after all."

"Oh, and now he has one. I hope they'll stay friends." Miriam said.

"Me too, Miri - - "

"Uh, dad?" Arnold interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"Do we have any popsicles?"

Miles blinked a couple of times before he snickered in incredulity. "Are you trying to fatten your stepsister?"

"… Yeah, you're right; it's too much." Arnold declared before the microwave beeped, signaling that the popcorn were done.

Miles chuckled. "I think he may have a fissure at some point if they make this a weekly thing." He said, earning a chuckle from his fiancé.

Arnold continued in the kitchen, pulling his fingers through his hair more often than he usually would because it kept falling forwards. He groaned in annoyance and looked around for something to force his hair back. He saw a container of rubber bands, momentarily questioned what they were for and then decided to use one of them for his hair. He tied it into a low ponytail and continued his work in the kitchen.

Arnold put another bag of popcorn in the microwave as he opened the cabinets with the bowls in it. He was about to grab two plastic ones, but then noticed two made of glass. He made a dive for them, but changed his mind and picked the plastic ones in the end. He spilled the popcorn into the first bowl and grabbed the other bag once the microwave beeped. It took him about five seconds to have both bowls ready.

He was about to grab them and get them upstairs until he remembered something. "Drinks." He reminded himself and put the bowls back on the desk. He opened the refrigerator and took the last two Yahoo sodas that were inside. He sighed in relief as he put them on the desk and closed the refrigerator again. He grabbed it all a little clumsily, but he felt he had a good hold on everything when he walked out of the kitchen.

As soon as Arnold had taken the first step on the stairs, he heard the doorbell. He looked at it in disbelief. "That was ten minutes?!"

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" Helga asked outside the door and knocked for effect. "Lemme in!"

"Y-Yeah, of course, sure, I just need to, uh… H-Hold on!" Arnold begged and walked around in a circle, trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff in his arms.

"You don't leave someone waiting outside, even if it _is_ summer. Come on!" Helga complained and made an obvious hard knock, doubtlessly with her foot.

Arnold sighed and decided to leave the things on the sideboard below the mirror. He looked at his reflection automatically and remembered the rubber band. He was about to take it out when Helga knocked again and he forgot it once more. He went to open the door after he had readjusted his clothes.

Helga was about to say something, but then her hand went to her mouth. "Whoa, you're all ready to get some serious homework done, huh?" she teased in a grin and walked inside.

Arnold ran his hand over his ponytail and sighed shyly. "I-It's just a coincidence."

"I'll bet." Helga countered and pushed her shoes off. She looked at him, even walked around him like a tigress circling her pray playfully before jumping at it. "You know, it actually suits you."

Arnold looked at Helga in surprise and when he saw no playfulness in her eyes, he moved his hand to touch the ponytail. "Really?"

"Yeah. Not a lot of guys can pull that off, but your hair is thick and wavy so it looks good on you." Helga stated almost nonchalantly and walked towards the living room. "Hi, Miles!"

"Hi, Helga." Arnold heard Miles answer, but he wasn't truly listening. He looked at himself at the mirror. He hadn't even realized his hair was long enough to put it in a ponytail. It was a short one, but it was there.

"Hey, stud." Helga teased and pointed at the popcorn and sodas. "Those for us?"

"Oh, yeah. I thought some snacks might be a good incentive for us." Arnold explained and grabbed a bowl with popcorn and a soda.

"Aren't you a good brother; keeping your sister healthy and fed." Helga joked before grabbing a bowl of her own and the soda can.

Arnold looked at her nervously. "W-Would you rather want something more healthy?"

"No, I - - "

"Because we can get some carrots instead or something - - "

"Football Head!" Helga shouted and used her free hand to grab his chin. "Relax already." She said in a grin. "I'm not some girl you have to impress or anything."

Arnold stared at her. "Am I acting that nervous?" he asked somehow muffled since she was still holding his chin. She nodded and let go. "Oh…" he murmured before following her up the stairs. _Why do I seem so nervous? It's just Helga after all; my stepsister. That shouldn't make me feel nervous or self-conscious or…_ He thought, but then frowned. _Self-conscious? Am I being self-conscious?_ He wondered as he felt the ponytail swish on his neck. _No. She said it looked good so it's fine to leave it there_.

Helga plumbed down on Arnold's bed, successfully spreading some of the popcorn on the duvet, but Arnold couldn't bring himself to care. She had been there before, but it felt different for some reason. He sat nervously next to Helga on his bed, his fingers playing with some popcorn in his hands.

"Hey." Helga said and he whipped his head to look at her. She ignored her need to tease him. "That Lila girl… what's her deal?"

"Lila?" Arnold asked and his eyes widened. _Did Lila say something about me?_

Helga nodded. "Yeah. She looks at me in a funny way and I was just wondering if I'm the only one or something." She explained before pushing a popcorn into her mouth.

"She looks at you funny?" Arnold questioned, wondering how he had missed that if it really was true. Who knew; maybe Helga was just being paranoid.

"Yeah." She insisted and swallowed her popcorn. "It's like… she's looking at me like she's scared of me, but also wanna get to know me or something."

Arnold hummed thoughtfully. "Well… I haven't noticed, but… Lila's a really sweet girl."

"Oh, please. I don't get how any of you can stand her." Helga insisted and threw a popcorn at Arnold. "She sounds like someone who belongs at the top of a Christmas tree."

"What does that mean?" Arnold asked as he threw a popcorn back at her.

"She's an angel with a stick up her ass." Helga explained mischievously and threw a popcorn at him again. Arnold didn't know what to say to that because he knew it was kind of true, so he just threw a popcorn at her again. Before they knew it, they had started a popcorn fight. Needless to say; they didn't get much studying done that night.

* * *

><p>It was definitely an odd feeling to see the room you had grown up in almost empty. Arnold had packed most of his belongings, all of those he wished to bring with him anyway. His grandpa had helped him, seemingly getting more used to the thought of his grandchild moving out. He always knew the day would come, just not quite like this.<p>

After Miles and Miriam had taken them all to see the house, they all warmed up the place. Not only was the house great in itself, it was also only a two minute walk away from Sunset Arms; even Phil was looking forward to take advantage of the guest room Miles had offered his parents.

Arnold sighed melancholically as he touched his couch. He remembered how many problems he'd had with creating the proper technology so he could control everything in his room with a remote control. He hoped Miles was right when he said he could easily do the same thing in his new room.

Arnold looked up at his skylight and climbed up on the build-in ladder until he was up on the roof. His eyes noticed the piano and he chuckled when he remembered how he had thought it was terrible it couldn't get inside, but his grandma had thought it was wonderful. He walked towards the railing made of stone and leaned against it, enjoying the view. It was already close to sunset and the sky was painted in crimson and buttery colors; it was beautiful.

"Princess Football Head!"

Arnold jolted at the sound of a booming voiced from below him. He looked down, noticing a by now familiar face even though he hadn't seen it in some time. Outside school at least.

He smiled in incredulity. "_Princess_?" he repeated.

"You look like a crestfallen maiden waiting for her prince Charming to come and save her. I thought you liked our new house?"

"I do!" Arnold insisted. "I do…" he insisted again, this time with less reliability. Helga cocked her head to the side and noticed the fire escape. With a grin, she ran towards it. Arnold lifted his head and leaned over the railing to look what she was doing; yet he felt the need to verbally ask her.

"I'm rescuing the damsel in distress!" Helga replied dramatically as she started climbing the ladder.

"I'm not a damsel!"

"But you are in distress!" Helga retorted and Arnold didn't want to correct her. He wasn't nearly as sad as he had been when he had just been told they were moving. Helga had comforted him that day after all, which had soothed him more than he realized. He couldn't bring himself to stop her; there was a part of him that was extremely happy she was so worried for him, but he wouldn't tell her that because he knew she would deny it.

Arnold waited for Helga to reach him and when she did, she spread her arms wide. "My lady!" she bellowed and lost her footing. Arnold was quick to grab her hands though and saved her from presumably dropping all the way down to the street.

Arnold sighed in relief. "Will you please come up here?" he begged worriedly.

"What a change of heart." Helga observed as she climbed onto the roof and let go of his hands. Arnold already missed the feeling of her hands in his, but he shook it off; she was going to be his stepsister after all.

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked as he followed her towards the railing.

"We're here to pick you and Miles up. Our parents didn't want to spend money on a truck so instead we are spending money on gas so we can drive back and forth with all our shit." Helga explained and leaned on the railing lazily.

"It's probably cheaper in the long run."

"But not more practical." The stalwart blonde retorted. She admired the view as the wind took ahold of her hair, which had been secured under her sweatshirt until that moment, and let it fly in the gentle breeze. "You do have a beautiful view here though."

Arnold didn't hear Helga; his mind had gone blank when the wind had made her hair float like that. There was a sort of unearthly beauty about her he hadn't noticed before. When she turned to look at him though, he forced himself to think that the beauty disappeared and he looked at the sunset.

Helga said Arnold's name in such a soft voice, he almost thought he had imagined it. It was the first time she had ever said his actual name, so when he looked at her, his cheeks were matching the evening sky. He was expecting some comforting words, but that's not what he got at all. She leaned closer to him, her hand landing next to his and he stilled along with the wind. This simple gesture, which he identified as something that had been meant in a soothing and sisterly way, caused his heart to flutter.

Green met blue when she leaned back with anything but an obvious smile. "You coming?" she asked and he nodded mechanically. She walked past him and he stood back for a bit as he watched her walk tranquilly in the wind. His hand moved up to his cheek on its own and the tip of his fingers could still feel the heat radiating from the place Helga's lips had kissed.

And Arnold knew right then, by the way his heart refused to stop beating, that it would take him a long time, if not eternity, to look at Helga with brotherly eyes again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: You can choose yourself how much time passed by from the "study session" to when they were actually moving. But not like a half year, ok? xD It doesn't take **_**that**_** long after all, especially since it was fully furnished and everything :P**

**Also a fun little fact if someone think such things are funny xD I actually wrote the very last scene of this _before_ anything else. The kiss was something spontaneous I threw in there at the whim of the moment, so to speak, and when I realized what I had just done, I thought it should be a last scene instead of the beginning xD So I had this scene written down while writing the rest xD**


	5. The melody you were humming

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** Miles and Miriam took Arnold, Helga, Phil and Gertie to go see the new house and they were all pleasantly surprised. It was close to Sunset Arms and Miles had even gone through the trouble to try and recreate Arnold's rooftop back home. Soon, after some work, the roof would have a flattened area they could walk on.**_

_**Arnold convinced Helga to stop smoking and to both their surprise, the only downside was that she was a little tired. She realized she had never truly been addicted; a rare blessing. In school though, Arnold was reminded of how the world may or may not look at a possible relationship between stepsiblings. He didn't know why he bothered to study it for a bit, because he didn't have feelings for Helga or so he believed.**_

_**When it was finally time to move to the new house, Arnold was melancholic for one last time, but Helga gave him a kiss on the cheek, which only caused him to be more confused about his feelings for her.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: More than one guest reviewer asked me if this was going to be only from Arnold's point of view. I want to say yes, but I also want to say no. This story definitely focuses more on Arnold than Helga, but from time to time we will hear what Helga is thinking.**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: "The melody you were humming"<span>

Helga was humming a melody Arnold didn't know while they were doing a project in class. He looked at her curiously. "What is that melody?"

"Hm?" Helga muttered absentmindedly, but then shook her head. "Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"I asked you what the melody you were humming was."

"Oh, no. I meant about the project." Helga explained, but decided to simply look at the book herself since Arnold wasn't answering.

"What were you humming?" Arnold asked more insistently, because now he got curious. She seemed to secretive for some reason.

Helga quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why do you care so much? Just because we live together doesn't mean we have to know every little thing about each other, does it?" she asked defensively. Right then the bell rang, signaling it was time for recess. Without a word, she stood up and walked towards the door. She didn't know why she felt so wary around him lately. His question had been innocent; she could have dodged in a kinder way, so why hadn't she? She had been acting like this ever since they moved in together and she was starting to fear she was going back to her old self.

Arnold sighed and turned to talk to Gerald who seemed to have overheard what had just happened. "Helga's been acting weird around me lately." Arnold told him with a sour face.

"Maybe she just needs to get used to it?" Gerald suggested.

"I don't know, Gerald, it just feels like she's been avoiding me. It's like she has a secret, but I thought we were getting along!"

"When did she start acting like that?"

Arnold thought about it for a moment. It had been on the day they moved in together he believed. He was about to tell Gerald that, but then remembered what had happened before that. He put his hand up to his cheek, hoping to pinch it into submission; he did _not_ want himself to blush in front of Gerald.

Arnold hummed. "I think about the time we moved into the new house." He muttered nonchalantly, even though his heart was beating faster at the memory.

"Did something out of the ordinary happen?"

"Nope. Nothing. Not a thing." Arnold answered instinctively.

Gerald quirked an eyebrow at his friend's odd behavior, but decided to ignore it. "Well, then maybe she just needs to get used to have men in her home. She's been living with her mom alone for over a year, right?" he reminded him.

Arnold nodded. "That could be it…" he said, but he didn't believe it. It seemed bigger than that; Helga had already told him so many things about her, if it really was something as simple as that, why wouldn't she tell him? He decided he couldn't sit around and wait for her to tell him herself. He had to confront her.

"That's a really bad idea." Gerald said as if he could hear Arnold's thoughts. The blonde boy ignored him though and darted out of the classroom. With a sigh, Gerald followed him. Maybe he could either stop him or at least work as a wingman between them.

Arnold was outside in the school yard before he finally saw Helga. He waited for a bit, noticing she was talking to a girl he didn't know. He felt someone bump against him and saw Gerald behind him.

"Sorry, dude." Gerald said as Arnold rubbed his sore head. "Where's Helga?"

Arnold pointed. "By the school gates. She's talking to someone." He explained.

Gerald looked in the same direction and his eyes widened. "Who is that?" he asked in awe as he looked at the petite Asian-looking girl who was wearing a blue plaid skirt along with a long-sleeved knitted sweater. It seemed too hot to wear for summer, just like Helga's sweatshirts.

"I don't know… Maybe she's Helga's old classmate?" Arnold suggested and recognized the smile on Gerald's face. "You do realize she's Helga's friend, right? She might be just as unapproachable too."

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Gerald asked before readjusting the collar on his shirt and walking towards the girls.

"G-Gerald, I was supposed to talk to Helga." Arnold tried, but his taller friend didn't hear him. Arnold sighed and decided to go with the flow; he didn't have much of a choice anyway.

When they got closer to the girls, Arnold could hear Helga talking. "I'm so glad you came to visit, Phoebs. You're the only thing I miss about P.S. 219." She said with a broad smile and the shorter girl giggled.

"I miss you too, Helga." The girl said and noticed Arnold and Gerald approaching. She nudged her elbow at Helga who turned to look at them.

Her smile faded. "Are you following me or something?" she asked in a tone some people might thought was joking, but Arnold could hear she was genuinely annoyed with him.

He sighed. _I shouldn't have followed her_. He thought. "No, sorry. Uh, Gerald just wanted to come over and say hi." He said.

Gerald shot him a bit of a look, but then smiled brightly at the Asian girl as he extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Gerald. Your friend's stepbrother's best friend." He said and frowned. "Damn long introduction."

The girl giggled before taking his hand. "I'm Phoebe, your best friend's stepsister's best friend." She announced with a cute smile. Arnold could see on Gerald's face that he was really happy with meeting this girl, but that also meant he would soon start to babble because he got nervous around girls he genuinely liked.

"Uh, so, Phoebe, were you a classmate of Helga's?" Arnold asked, hoping to avoid his best friend embarrassing himself.

"Oh, yes. We've known each other since we were in diapers." Phoebe said with a smile and Helga smiled back. "Helga's been my best friend my whole life."

"Aw, Phoebs." Helga said in a grin and put her arm over the shorter girl's shoulders.

Arnold smiled at the sight. "So it wasn't all miserable at P.S. 219?" he asked and crossed his arms.

Helga shot him a bit of a look, but smiled anyway. "I didn't say _everything_ was miserable, but Phoebe here was the one good thing." She explained. "Hey, wanna come over to my house after school?"

Phoebe nodded excitedly. "Oh, but I have to tutor first, so can it be about 5pm instead?" she asked.

"Sure."

Arnold sighed silently. That shot down his plans about confronting Helga later.

"Oh, I'm actually going over to Arnold's house too. Maybe the four of us could hang out?" Gerald suggested.

Arnold stared at him. _When did he decide that?!_ He thought and looked worriedly at Helga who was smirking at him.

"You ok with that, Phoebs?" Helga asked without looking at her.

"Oh, uh… I don't mind." The Asian girl answered honestly with a shrug. Helga showed her a somewhat odd smile, which Arnold noticed, but didn't know what meant. "Then it's a deal. You and Gerald will be over at our house then?"

"Yeah, I'll take my bag home after school first and maybe shower or something so you don't have to hurry or anything, Phoebe." Gerald said as his hands went through his hair.

Phoebe giggled. "I appreciate your consideration." She said.

Helga rolled her eyes, but was smiling. "Oh, spare me."

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><p>To say that Helga was ignoring Arnold was an understatement. On their way home from school, she didn't say a single word no matter how much Arnold tried to talk to her. Once they reached their door, he was about to ask her one more time if he had done something wrong, but Miles and Miriam were running around like headless chickens and both blondes forgot everything else.<p>

"Uh, should I be worried?" Helga asked to no one in particular and yet Arnold felt happy just to hear her voice again.

"We forgot we were going to look at venues for the wedding today and we have to meet with the wedding planner in fifteen minutes!" Miles explained as he tried to get his shoe on even as he was jumping around on one leg.

"Correction: _ten_." Miriam said as she looked at her wristwatch. They both groaned before running around once more.

"I live in a fucking nuthouse." Helga hissed under her breath and headed towards the stairs. "Well, while you guys go check out venues, I'll be taking a bath."

"Sure, sweety." Miriam said from one of the rooms, but then gasped loudly and appeared in the hallway. "Oh, uh, H-Helga, are you sure you want to do that?" she asked.

Helga stopped walking and turned to cock an eyebrow at Miriam's question. "Why wouldn't I want to do that?" she asked. The way Miriam started fiddling told her why, even though Arnold didn't understand anything. "Miriam." Helga hissed.

"Please, sweety. C-Can't you at least wait till I'm home?"

"No way! I'm taking a bath _now_." Helga said and continued up the stairs.

"Can't you take a shower instead?!"

"I want to soak in the _tub_!"

"Helga!" Miriam tried, but her daughter simply continued up the stairs until she was out of view. "Oh, no… We have to leave now. I don't have time for this." Miriam muttered and held a hand to her forehead, something Arnold had noticed she would usually do when she was frustrated and didn't know what to do. She looked at him and the expression of despair disappeared. "Arnold!" she said and grabbed his shoulders roughly. "I need your help!"

Arnold blinked a couple of times in confusion before he nodded. "S-Sure. With that?" he asked.

Miriam sighed in relief. "I need you to go up and get Helga to let you into the bathroom while she bathes. Tell her I sent you; she'll understand why." She said and looked at Miles as he ran past them and opened the front door.

"What?!" Arnold shrieked, his cheeks reddening instantly. "W-Why do I have to do that? What's going on?" he asked desperately, but Miriam and Miles were already out of the door.

"Please, Arnold." Miriam begged one last time before closing the door, leaving a very dumbfounded boy back in the house.

His cheeks were still flaring red and he felt a need to put his hands up to hide his face. _I can't do that… No way_. He thought, but he looked towards the stairs worriedly. _Miriam wouldn't ask for something so weird unless it was important, right…? She was genuinely pleading_… He thought and gulped as he walked slowly towards the stairs.

It took Arnold much longer than it usually would have to reach the bathroom and even then, he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door. He was fiddling with his fingers, unsure what to do. Helga had gotten angry with Miriam when she had suggested not taking a bath and even though he didn't know what was going on, he was a little worried. It was a strange reaction after all.

Arnold inhaled deeply and didn't exhale until he had knocked on the door. He heard Helga groan from the inside. "Miriam, I'm fine!" she shouted in aggravation.

"Uh, n-no. It's Arnold, actually…" he said, hoping Helga wouldn't get to mad with him.

It was quiet for a bit. "Miriam sent you, didn't she?" she asked in an almost quiet voice, but that could easily be because of the door between them.

Arnold nodded. "Yeah. She, uh… didn't tell me why though." He explained, trying to force the blush off his cheeks. He couldn't help but remind himself that Helga was _naked_ on the other side of this very door right now.

"Criminy… Hold on." Helga instructed and Arnold literally held onto the door handle; he was afraid he'd start shaking if he didn't. He kept waiting in silence and he figured about a minute had passed when Helga told him he could come in.

_This can't be happening_. Arnold thought as he watched his own hand pull the handle down. _I'm not just about to enter the bathroom while my stepsister is in there!_ He thought in panic and opened the door, peeking inside. Helga was sitting at the end of the room in the tub. She was completely covered in bubbles.

She looked at him with something akin to either shame or perhaps just shyness. "Close the door. It's fucking cold." She ordered in a quiet voice and Arnold did as told. He stood near the door for a bit, unsure what to do. He just observed Helga. This was the closest he had ever been to see her body even though it was only the shoulders and knees, which she had bend up above the bubbles. Her hair was wet and clinging onto her neck and shoulders.

Arnold started moving his weight from one foot to another. "Why did you let me in?" he asked, unsure what else to ask or say at all.

Helga sighed and let her head fall back on the edge of the tub. "I'm not sure… I guess because, even though I hate it, a part of me appreciates my mom is so worried about me… I mean, she asked my _stepbrother_ to join me in here; is she mental or something?" she joked and finally smiled. Arnold sighed in relief. It felt like it had been months since she had last smiled at him when in reality it was only a couple of days ago.

Helga looked at him, bopping her head towards the shower stool. "Sit down. I'm planning to stay here for a while."

Arnold's uneasiness level rise with each step that he took towards her and when he finally sat down on the shower stool, he laughed breathlessly. "I wonder why we even have a shower stool?" he joked, kicking his legs.

"Miriam can't stand up too long at the time. Her body's really weak despite her age." Helga said and moved her arms lazily over the bubbles, watching them as they moved around in the water. "She used to be an Olympic class swimmer."

Arnold looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"I don't blame you for sounding so surprised. She's too lazy and… _tired_ now to do that, but she was very different before she met Bob." Helga continued and huffed. "She was even a bull riding champion as a child."

"Bull riding champion?" Arnold repeated in disbelief.

"Yup. She wanted to start horseback riding, but my grandpa didn't think she could do it and would get hurt, so she tried convincing him by getting really good at riding a mechanical bull and then she realized she started liking that much more in the process." Helga explained and started chuckling.

"That's really amazing, Helga." Arnold said, impressed by what she was telling him.

Helga shrugged. "It'd be more amazing if she had stuck with all those amazing things rather than marrying Bob." She insisted and looked lifelessly up into the ceiling. Arnold didn't say anything; he couldn't bring himself to do so. He felt her looking at him. "You're not going to ask why you're here?"

"I…" Arnold started apprehensively. "I figured if you wanted me to know, you'd let me." He answered honestly and fiddled with his thumbs as he looked at her.

She kept looking at him for a bit before she looked at the bubbles near her chest. "I almost drowned once." She said without any warning. Arnold went buck-eyed and speechless at the confession that had come out of nowhere. He stared at her as she simply kept looking at the bubbles. "In a tub, that is. Not, uh… not out in the ocean." She clarified and looked away.

Arnold felt his breath hitch in his throat as he attempted to speak. "What… happened?" he inquired.

Helga looked back at the bubbles and shrugged. "I fell asleep." She admitted. "I was a freshman at P.S. 219 and I guess I was just stressed. I wanted to soak in the tub, let my worries fly away and I guess it worked, because I almost drowned." She said with a chuckle that sent shivers down Arnold's spine. How she could joke about something like this was beyond him.

"Don't… Don't joke about this. You could have died." Arnold said and looked away from her and at the wall.

"Oh, sorry." Helga said and he knew she thought he had reacted that way because he had thought of his mom. That was not the case at all, but before he could correct her, she continued talking. "It was Miriam who found me. She called the hospital in a complete panic, but Olga was home at the time so she did CPR on me and I woke up. They took me to the hospital just in case even though I insisted I was fine. Olga and Miriam were shaking with fear while Bob, he…" Helga shrugged.

"He what?"

Helga shot him a bit of a look; she had obviously hoped he could figure that out on his own, but she sighed in surrender. "He was complaining he was going to miss a meeting." She admitted. Arnold felt disgusted at this information; what kind of sick person would say something like that when their own family had been about to die? Helga snorted. "I mean, I personally didn't care back then. I was annoyed I had to be at the hospital too, so I didn't say anything, but Miriam…" she said. "She was so furious." Helga whispered.

"And you were surprised?" Arnold asked in incredulity.

"I was." Helga confirmed and looked at him. "Up until then, I thought Bob and Miriam were at the same level when it came to both me and Olga, but Miriam was shouting and yelling and, criminy, I didn't know her voice could be so loud." Helga chuckled at the image of this lazy laid-back woman she had known back then who had suddenly stood up to Bob and screamed at him until her voice had gone hoarse. She put her arms on the edge of the tub, resting her chin on them. "That was the first time I realized Miriam genuinely… cares for me."

"She loves you." Arnold corrected with a smirk.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Distinction without a difference." She insisted and let her head tilt to the side. "Anyways, after that Miriam started to stand up to Bob a whole lot more and before I knew it, she told me she wanted to get a divorce. Frankly, I didn't think she had the balls to do it so I told her to go for it. When I saw the actual papers, I realized… she did it. She actually did it."

Arnold could see the obviously proud smile on Helga's face. "She broke out of her cell?"

"Yeah, and the box I had put her in in my brain too." The blonde added, chuckling. There was a content silence between them for a bit, the only sound in the room being Helga moving her legs are arms in the water since she had resumed her former position.

Arnold took a deep breath. "Helga?"

"Oh, dear. What does that tone mean?" Helga joked and looked at him.

"… Why have you been avoiding me?"

Helga's eyes widened for a mere moment and she looked back at the bubbles. "Have I been avoiding you?"

"Yes."

"You sure you're not just imaging things?"

"Helga!"

Helga snorted in surrender and leaned further back in the tub until her neck was covered by the bubbles as well. "Why indeed…" she mumbled and noticed that Arnold crossed his arms resolutely, but in reality, he just looked like a stubborn child. "Arnold, I've never kissed anyone before." She stated and looked at him solemnly.

Arnold blinked a couple of times, just watching the almost vulnerable girl sitting in front of him. "What?" he questioned and she snickered.

"You don't have a brain in your head do you?" she teased. "I have not once in my life given or received a kiss, not even by my parents. Physical contact isn't something I've… done much in my life. With the exception of Olga and Miriam, Phoebe's the only person I've ever even _hugged_ and I didn't even do that until we were in fourth grade."

"But… what does - - what does that mean?" Arnold stuttered.

"It means that when I actually went and _kissed_ someone out of the blue… I freaked out. I started to realize that I was letting you in and I don't usually let people in. I have a wall around me and when I understood you were breaking it down, I decided to rebuild it."

"And now?" Arnold probed.

She looked at him. "Now what?"

"What do you feel now?" Arnold asked and noticed he as extremely nervous for some reason.

The blonde seemed to mull it over for a long time. "Hell if I know." She decided and Arnold sighed in either relief or disappointment, he wasn't sure. "I guess I just want to go back to how we were before. Without this weird…" She said and gestured between them. "_Whatever_."

"I'd like that too." Arnold said with a smile.

Helga smiled back at him and then sighed in content. "Ok, I think I want to get out of the tub now before I'll be mistaken for a raisin." She said, took some bubbles in her hand and blew them on Arnold's face. He coughed and tried to blow them away, but he had to use his hand before he got them off. He scowled at her, but she was just smiling innocently. "Thanks for _watching me_." She joked.

"I didn't see anything!" Arnold insisted as he stood up and headed for the door.

"You're complaining?" Helga questioned.

He turned to stare at her. "No! N-No, I wasn't, I was just telling that I, please don't misunderstand, I - - " he finally stopped rambling when Helga started laughing hysterically. He blushed in embarrassment before he walked out, listening outside as she kept laughing. He moved his hand up to his cheeks, his blush so evident he could practically _feel_ it. A smile spread on his face and he couldn't help but start laughing as well. He was just happy he and Helga were back to normal.

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><p>Helga had barely come out of the bathroom before she heard the doorbell ring. "Uh, Arnold? Mind letting them in?" she asked and opened her own door.<p>

"Sure." Arnold answered and came out of his room just as Helga entered her own. He blushed a bit at the second long moment he had seen of her in only a pink towel, but he shook it off and went downstairs. He went towards the door and opened it, revealing both Gerald and Phoebe standing outside. "Hi there. You timed that perfectly, huh?"

"Yeah, we met each other by the other street actually." Gerald said and walked inside.

Phoebe followed him meekly. "Where's Helga?"

"Oh, she's changing right now." Arnold explained. "She should be down soon - - "

"_Go to hell_!" an angry voice came from upstairs and they all stared at the staircase as if it could explain what they had just heard.

"What was that?" Gerald asked in shock, but Arnold didn't answer him. He ran up the stairs, leaving a dumbfounded Gerald and Phoebe in the hallway, looking at each other in concern.

"Helga!" Arnold called and ran into her room without any warning. She was sitting on her bed, her head held low as she cradled her phone in her hands. "Helga?" he questioned softly and she looked up at him. When she did, her hair left her chest and he saw she was sitting there only in a pair of jeans and a bra. He would have started blushing if it wasn't because he saw her eyes shimmering.

"That was Olga." Helga said, gesturing with the phone. "Trying to _reach out_ as she calls it." She said, making air quotes around _reach out_.

Arnold walked slowly towards her, ignoring the fact she was almost half-naked in front of him. "What did she say?" he asked gently, hoping to soothe her before Gerald and Phoebe might think of joining them up here to see what was going on.

"The usual: _How could you possibly be against daddy when it was mommy who left him?_ Stuff like that…" Helga explained and threw the phone into her pillow. It landed safely, but she seemed almost unpleased with that. She pulled her hands through her wet hair, causing some of the water to trickle down her back and chest and she shivered at the feeling.

She looked down and then up at Arnold in realization. "Arnold! Why didn't you say anything?!" she asked angrily and stood up.

"I-I didn't notice!"

"You didn't _notice_?!"

"No! That's not what I meant! I-I just wanted to comfort you and I thought mentioning that would make you feel weird a-and - - "

"Yeah, no shit!" Helga said as she grabbed a random blouse on her bed and tried to pull it over her head. In the panic though, she ripped it by the sleeve and her arm went through the new hole, causing her to get stuck in the blouse. "Oh, for fuck's sake! I'm stuck! Help me!" she shouted as she fought against the fabric.

"O-Ok, but hold still!" Arnold begged and tried to grab the blouse.

He pulled it in one direction, but that caused Helga to hiss. "You're just making it worse!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Just get it off!"

"I-I can't reach!" Arnold said and had to tiptoe to reach the tip of Helga's fingers, which were up in the air in this oddly crooked position.

"Why are you so fucking short?!"

"Why are you so tall?" Arnold retorted and looked towards the bed. Without thinking first or even warning her, he pushed her down on it. She landed on it with a thump and once he had sat on his knees on the mattress, he managed to pull the blouse off.

They were both panting heavily due to the struggle and that was the only sound in the room until the door opened. "Helga, are you…" Phoebe asked, but her eyes widened when she saw the compromising position her best friend and her stepbrother was in.

"Dude! Sick!" Gerald screeched and closed the door again, leaving a dumbfounded Arnold and Helga alone in the room.

They were silent for what felt like forever before Helga groaned loudly, putting her hands in front of her eyes. "_Fuck my life_." She stated and looked at Arnold between her fingers. He was looking down at her, heavily blushing. That caused her to blush as well and she pushed him off. "Sheesh." She stated, bit her lower lip and then walked towards her closet. "Go out and explain it to them, Football Head. I have to get dressed!"

Arnold obeyed in silence and walked towards the door. Before he walked out though, he couldn't help but cast one last look in Helga's direction as she pulled a t-shirt over her neck and torso. He blushed when his fingers remembered the feeling of her skin against his palms when he had been struggling with her blouse. _Oh, God. We're going to get awkward again, aren't we?_

* * *

><p>Unlike what Arnold had assumed, it didn't get awkward between him and Helga as much as between the stepsiblings and their best friends. Even after they had explained what had happened and the best friends had accepted it, there was still this odd aura in the air. Helga had taken it upon herself to play the Devil's advocate and plainly said that they were all feeling too weird to hang out and suggested taking a rain check. They all agreed and Phoebe and Gerald had left five minutes after.<p>

Helga leaned against the front door after they had said goodbye to their friends and sighed heavily. "Criminy, I finally get to see Phoebe after this long and this fucking happens." She cursed sighed heavily once more.

"I'm sorry." Arnold said and scratched the back of his head. He still felt a little weird about everything that had happened since they came home from school. Not only had he been in the bathroom while his stepsister was bathing; he had even kinda sorta helped her undress… which was wrong, so very wrong, the more he thought about it.

"Why are _you_ apologizing? If I'm blaming anyone, it's my sister." Helga retorted and walked past him towards the staircase.

"Where are you going?" Arnold asked as he followed her.

"To my room. I'm gonna kick back and relax a little." She explained and opened her door.

"Oh, uh, ok." Arnold said, doing his best to hide his disappointment. When she shot him a smile though, a very genuine smile spread on his face and he waved at her when she walked inside. With a sigh, he turned towards his own room. He looked around, wondering what he felt like doing, but honestly, he felt a little restless. Since his very random plans with Gerald had been shot down, he actually felt like hanging out with someone, but he had no clue who.

Arnold picked up his phone and looked through his contacts. Lila's name appeared on the screen and he frowned. He still didn't have a clue what she was thinking at all. It seemed like she had momentarily started liking him again, but that she had gone back to ignoring him again or something. She seemed to be in deep thought about something, but he couldn't figure out what.

_It couldn't hurt to call_. Arnold thought, clicked on her name and put the phone to his ear. It rang a couple of times before she picked up. "Hey, Lila. Uh, what are you doing?"

"Hi, Arnold! I'm actually at the cinema right now." Lila said in a somehow nervous voice, but it still sounded sweet.

"Oh, what are you gonna see?"

"This new movie about a puppy that finds its way home. It looks ever so adorable." She bellowed happily.

Arnold snickered. That was typical Lila; it didn't matter how old she got, she would always prefer children movies and not just _children_ movies, but _toddler_ movies. "Who are you with?"

"Who I'm… Oh, um, I, uh - - " Lila stuttered nervously, but was interrupted by a male voice that called her darling and said it was time to get inside.

Arnold frowned. "Was that Stinky…?" he asked. He could recognize that southern accent anywhere.

"Oh, um… yes. He, uh.. invited me." Lila answered.

"Oh… I-I shouldn't disturb you then." Arnold said, shutting his eyes tight and biting on his lip.

"No, wait, Arnold." Lila said hopefully. "It's not what you think. I - - "

Arnold hung up before Lila could say anymore. She did it again. As soon as he thought they were going somewhere, she would get off track and still expect him to be waiting for her on the opposite road. He hated it, he really did; so why did he keep falling for it?

With a grunt, Arnold stood up from his bed and marched out of his room. He was planning to visit his grandparents so he could think of something else, but figured he should tell Helga first. He was about to knock on her door when he heard a sound from inside her room. He tilted his head curiously and leaned his ear against it. It sounded like a soft riff from a guitar, but that just confused him more.

"Helga?" Arnold asked softly and pulled the handle down.

"Don't come in without knocking!" Helga hissed, but he had already seen what she was about to hide. She was sitting crisscross on her bed with a guitar in her arms. She groaned and looked away. "What is it?"

Arnold stared at the instrument in her arms. "I didn't know you played guitar." He said and closed the door behind him.

Helga sighed heavily. "That's because _no one_ does, except Bob, Miriam and Olga." She said and looked at the white guitar. "My parents insisted I should play an instrument. They suggested violin and piano and pansy-ass instruments like that. I told them if they wanted me to play something, it would either be drums or guitar. So… here I am."

Arnold watched as Helga's fingers trickled over the strings experimentally. "I like it." He said in a smile, but it faded when he remembered his conversation with Lila.

Helga noticed straight away. "What's wrong?"

Arnold looked at her in surprise; he hadn't expected her to notice. "Oh, uh, I, just, um… I just talked with Lila, that's all."

"About?" Helga probed and put her guitar on her pillow, signaling that he had her full attention now.

Arnold looked down at the carpet awkwardly. He wasn't in the mood to talk about it at all, but he _was_ in the mood to talk with Helga so if this got her willing, he wasn't going to let the chance pass. "Lila and I are… well, we are sorta, um…" he explained and looked around as if the room could give him a clue how to describe it.

"Together…?" Helga tried, but Arnold shook his head instantly.

"No, we never got that far. It's more like… everyone is expecting us to get together at some point because… well, we are a lot alike and we like a lot of the same things and… I've kinda liked her for a while."

"Then why aren't you together?" Helga asked while Arnold sat down next to her on the bed.

"It's a little complicated, but… Lila can't seem to make up her mind." He explained.

Helga hummed in realization. "She's indecisive? One moment she wants to be with you, but you don't really want to and when you want to, she doesn't want to?" she asked.

"That's it! That's exactly it!" Arnold said in frustration and pulled on his hair. "Why can't she make up her mind? It's like one second she likes me, the next it's like - - "

"She likes you, but doesn't _like_ you like you?" Helga asked.

Arnold's face fell into a despair. "Yes…" he answered and looked at the floor. He could feel Helga's eyes on him; they were big in surprise. Arnold figured he must have made a really sad face because she suddenly put her hand on his head and pulled him to her until his cheek was on her shoulder and her jaw was at the top of his head.

She patted his head gently. "Don't make that face please…" she pleaded in a serious tone, but then she added playfully: "Or else I might kiss you again."

Arnold pulled back, staring at Helga in surprised eyes and with reddened cheeks. She snickered at him and rubbed her shoulder at him. "I'm kidding! Relax already." She said in a laugh and grabbed her guitar. "You were making such a miserable face; I had to loosen you up somehow."

Arnold smiled, but couldn't help but notice that he was disappointed. _Why_ was he disappointed? Did he really want a kiss from Helga that badly? No, that was ridiculous; she was his stepsister! A kiss from your stepsister didn't mean anything, at least not when it was on the cheek. And that was the kind of kiss she had been talking about… right?

"Want me to play you something?" Helga asked with a small smile.

Arnold nodded excitedly. "So, am I the only one who has ever heard you play?"

"Well, you and my teacher, but yes…" Helga answered and readjusted the guitar in her grip before she started playing. Arnold listened to the melody, trying to recognize it.

When he did, his eyes widened. "Isn't that the melody you were humming this morning in school?" he asked.

Helga snickered. "Yeah. Sorry for getting defensive there. I just didn't want you to know about the guitar playing, but…" she said and shrugged, still playing softly on the guitar.

Arnold rocked his head from side to side. "I like it. What song is it?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know. Um… it's kinda something I've made up myself so…"

"_You_ made this? It's really good."

"Yeah?"

"You should keep working on it. I think it could get really good once you've gotten a full-blown song out of it."

Helga hummed thoughtfully and then smiled. "Sure. Why not? I have no idea what the song will be about though, I only have a melody so far." She said.

"You have to start somewhere." Arnold said and Helga nodded. "Hey, uh… I actually play the mouth harmonica."

"Really?" Helga asked with a grin.

"Yeah… would you like to, um… jam with me or something?" Arnold asked, scratching his head shyly. Helga snickered and then nodded. "Cool. I'll go get it then." He said and jumped off her bed. When he came back and they started playing together, Arnold forgot all about Lila and how bad he had been feeling a mere moment ago. Helga was good for him, he knew that. He just didn't know for how long.

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ok! First things first: Everything should be credited as it should be because, _damn_, I was definitely inspired by something else when I wrote that scene with Arnold seeing Helga in her bra xD I've never watched "The Nanny" a lot, but around Christmas there were specials and I saw this flashback clip and I wrote it down instantly because I just _had_ to try and recreate the scene in this story x3**

**I am sorry to say that perhaps my perfect streak with one chapter a day might be broken with this chapter because tomorrow I won't have time to write xD I'm having a friend over who should actually have been here this Saturday, but for some reason Denmark has become a very stormy place this year so it wasn't really safe to go outside O.o**


	6. Catch me sleeping

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After the kiss Arnold had received on his cheek from Helga, things started going south between them. Helga got more defensive around him and Arnold wasn't sure what to say to her half the time. When Phoebe, Helga's best friend came to their school, Gerald took a shine to her and jumped at the opportunity for all of them to hang out at the house, to Helga's obvious irritation.**_

_**When Miriam didn't have time to watch Helga herself, she was forced to ask Arnold to watch Helga as she bathed, which Helga told him was because she had once drowned in the tub and that had made Miriam scared to death. That wasn't the only awkward thing that happened that afternoon though, when Arnold stormed into Helga's room after she had yelled at her sister over the phone and saw her in a bra and was forced to help her out of the blouse, which she was stuck in.**_

_**After the awkward moment Gerald and Phoebe had witnessed, the four teens gave up on hanging out that day, which left Arnold alone with his thoughts. After calling Lila and busting her out on a date with Stinky, he went to Helga's room to talk about it. He found out she could play the guitar and was even creating a song of her own, which turned into a jam session.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Yeah, this is what happens when school starts again; I don't have as much time and energy to write as I'd like… It's probably going to continue like this though, I can't make a chapter every day like before now – Damn it! xD**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6: "Catch me sleeping"<span>

Helga couldn't believe it was already so cold already she felt the need to wear a jacket. "Autumn came fast this year." She said and blew some air into her hands, watching the white smoke disappear into the distance once it had gotten through her fingers.

"Yes." Arnold agreed and tightened his scarf around his neck. "I can't believe it's already been a month."

"What's been a month?" Helga asked, blowing hot air in her hands again.

"That we all moved in together." The blonde boy clarified a little shyly. He couldn't believe it had been so long already. Well, it wasn't by any standards a long time to know someone, not at all; compared to his classmates whom he had known since he was a child, Helga could still be considered a stranger, but that's not how it felt at all. He was getting so comfortable around her that he was starting to feel he had known her his entire life.

Helga halted when this information had processed through her mind. "Oh, yeah." She said excitedly and Arnold stopped to look at her. "It's been a month _today_. Bet you five bucks Miriam will try to make dinner." She said and continued to walk with him. "_Again_." She added teasingly.

Miriam's cooking skills still left all her family members hungry, but she was still trying, to her daughter's surprise. Helga had yet to bust her having a smoothie as well, which was an even bigger surprise. Miles, as far as Helga could tell, had no idea about her mom's former drinking problem. Arnold didn't know, that was obvious. Why? Because Helga didn't want him to know, _obviously_. Miriam wasn't likely to tell him so it was only in the scenario of Helga having a stroke and losing her mind that Arnold would ever know.

"I'll take that bet." Arnold replied and shoved his hands into his pockets. Helga chuckled at that and they continued in silence for a while. It was only when a female voice called Arnold's name that the silence was disturbed.

Helga froze; she didn't have to turn around to know who that voice belonged to, but she watched as Arnold turned around and gulped. "H-Hi, Lila." He said and cast a pleading look in Helga's direction.

She sighed and faked a smile. "Good morning, Lila." She said.

The redhead approached them with her sugary smile and Helga couldn't help but shoot a hidden scowl at her. She loathed this girl with her entire being, but she still didn't understand why. The only real thing she knew about the redhead was that she had been in an on-and-off sort of relationship with Arnold for a long time. She also knew the kind of face Arnold made when he talked about her and Helga decided that face was more than enough reason to hate this girl. Arnold of course didn't know this.

"It sure has gotten cold, huh? The leaves are already changing color." Lila said and rubbed her hands together.

"We were just talking about that too." Arnold said with an awkward smile as he gestured between himself and Helga.

"Yes, it's amazing how all three of us can feel the cold." Helga retorted sarcastically.

They all started to walk again, Lila sneaking in between Arnold and Helga as she started chatting about a movie about a cat she had watched this weekend. Helga rolled her eyes, stopped walking for a second and then continued behind them. She hated the sight of them walking together and that naïve smile on Lila's face. Was the girl oblivious, stupid or was she just downright cruel? Helga didn't know, but no matter the answer she wouldn't like the girl more or less.

"Good morning, Helga!" a well-known voice yelled and Helga smiled as the Asian girl caught up with her, panting a little.

"Morning, Phoebs." Helga greeted, happy to have someone to keep her minds off the fact that Arnold was _still_ talking to Lila; she didn't deserve his kindness at all, but that was just the way Arnold was she had realized. He couldn't hurt a fly even if it landed in his soup. He would probably scoop it up with his spoon, saving it from drowning.

Phoebe had started at P.S. 218 a few days ago, having felt lonelier than she had imagined back at P.S. 219 when Helga had changed schools. Since Phoebe's academics were pure perfection, P.S. 218 had ignored the fact that she would be changing a little too late into the year and had welcomed her with open arms to the irritation of P.S. 219. Helga was happy though, Phoebe being there meant there was at least _one_ girl in the class she could talk to. Still to this day, the girls loathed her. She didn't care much for them either though.

Helga heard Lila giggle and she forgot what Phoebe was telling her. With a growl, she leaned closer to the shorter girl. "I _hate_ Lila." She hissed in her ear.

"I can tell." Phoebe replied. "Why though? She has never done anything to you, has she?"

"No, it's the whole thing she's got going on with Arnold. She is jerking him around and he just lets her! I'm not sure which one of them I'm the most pissed with." Helga said and groaned when Lila put her hand on Arnold's shoulder, completely ignoring how tense he got when she did that. "Scratch that; I'm more pissed with _her_."

It was pure torture to walk next to Lila like this at this point, Arnold realized when he almost sighed in relief when she removed her hand from his shoulder. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder at Helga, hoping she would be looking at him so he could silently beg her to join him on his other side. When he saw that she was indeed looking at him though, he went shy and looked back at Lila. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him lately; mere eye contact with Helga could make his heart skip a beat.

"Arnold, are you listening?" Lila asked softly and Arnold woke up from his small daydream.

"Oh, sorry, no." he admitted. "What did you just say?"

Lila smiled patiently. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have dinner tonight." She confirmed.

Arnold wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he heard something resembling a snarl behind him. "Uh, d-dinner?" he questioned in confusion.

"Yes. I miss your company and there's this adorable little bistro that's just opened. What do you say?"

"Whoa. Uh, I, um…" Arnold mumbled, feeling confused. A month ago he would have loved if Lila had asked him out like this, but for some reason, he didn't really want to.

He was almost praying for a way to say no and yet not hurt her, when he heard Helga's voice behind them. "Oh, Arnold, by the way; remember that Miriam is planning something special for dinner for tonight since it's our one month anniversary." She said casually and smiled at Lila. "It's been a month since we moved into our house."

"Oh, then I suppose tonight would be bad." Lila stated with a pensive smile. Arnold almost sighed in relief, but then the redhead continued. "Would tomorrow night work for you?" she asked. Arnold felt trapped. He felt he had to accept at this point or else he might seem rude.

Just as he was about to answer though, he felt Helga tap on his shoulder. "Race you!" she declared before running off. With a snicker, Arnold started running after her. This had become a regular thing once they were close enough to the school and he got so caught up in the game that he forgot he was leaving Lila behind him.

"I win." Helga announced in a pant when she touched the school wall. "_Again_."

"That's because you always run ahead like this!" Arnold said in a smile and looked back while his smile faded. "We just dumped Lila and Phoebe."

"Naw, they'll be fine." Helga insisted and approached him, hitting his shoulder in a fist. "Speaking of which; _you_ need to learn to say _no_, Football Head."

Arnold rubbed his shoulder, nodding as he did so. "I-I know. She just caught me off guard."

"That's no excuse! You need to officially end it with this bitch before she breaks your heart. _Again_."

"She's not a… Helga, she isn't that bad. She's a sweet girl, honestly or else I wouldn't like her."

Helga's eyebrows knitted together. "A sweet girl wouldn't jerk you around like that." She insisted. Arnold was about to protest, but she interrupted him. "Face it, Arnold; she's not the girl you thought she was. It's a damn shame, but it's time to realize you can do better, that you _deserve_ better."

Arnold felt his cheeks heat up at her words. He wanted to ask her if she meant that, but her smile told him that she did. "Thank you."

"The only proper way to thank me is to finally give up on her." Helga said and opened the door into the school. Arnold sighed and nodded, though he knew it wasn't that easy. He had liked Lila for a long time after all; it wouldn't just all disappear overnight, but he was definitely going to try.

As they walked through the hallway, Arnold remembered something. "_Did_ Miriam till you she was going to make a special dinner tonight?" he asked.

Helga smirked and shrugged innocently. "Not really, but I think it's a pretty safe bet. Besides," she said and swung her arms over his shoulder. "I needed to save you from Lila's claws."

* * *

><p>Helga had been right in her assumption; as soon as she and Arnold came home, Miriam declared: "Happy one month anniversary!" happily and told them she would make something special tonight. Miles offered to help, though Arnold knew he was just hoping to save dinner, but Miriam insisted she wanted to do it on her own. Arnold and Helga decided to go to his room and jam, something they had made a habit of since he found out she played the guitar.<p>

The doorbell rang just as they had started walking the stairs. "You go get your mouth harmonica and I'll open." Helga said, since she was the one closer to the door and jumped off the staircase. Arnold nodded at her and continued up the stairs. She chuckled at his bouncy way of walking before she opened the front door.

"Hi, Helga." Lila said as she stood there on the doorstep as if she belonged there.

A deep scowl appeared on Helga's face. "What are you doing here?" she asked, ignoring Lila's greeting. She just wanted her to get out of her sight as soon as possible.

"Um, Arnold is home, right?" Lila asked with an innocent smile.

Helga crossed her arms. "Yeah, but he doesn't have time right now. Also, didn't we already tell you we were having dinner plans as a family tonight?" she asked.

"Yes, but it is not tonight quite yet, is it?" Lila asked, still wearing that sugary smile that made Helga wonder why her teeth wasn't filled with holes. "Can I talk to him?" she asked and tried to step inside, but Helga stopped her.

"I don't think so."

"Well, why ever not?" Lila asked, her face looking disordered and somehow dejected.

Helga sighed and leaned closer to the redhead. "Listen, Lila, because if you make me say this again, you'll understand why others call me the girl with the iron fists. _Stay away from Arnold_." she warned and Lila stared at her in shock. "Stop hurting him. You've had so many chances with him already and you blew it. I'm not going to let you get his hopes up only to shoot them down _again_."

"Th-That's not what I've been doing!"

"The hell it isn't." Helga retorted and was about to push Lila out from the doorframe, but heard a voice from upstairs that made her curse.

"Helga, what's taking so long?" Arnold asked as he appeared at the staircase. His eyes widened when he noticed Lila who was waving innocently at him. "Lila, what are you doing here?" he asked as he walked down the stairs.

"Well, I thought since you didn't have time for dinner tonight, maybe we could just hang out right now?" the redhead suggested.

"And _I_ was telling her it was a bad idea." Helga interjected, glaring at Lila who looked nervously back.

"Well, that's Arnold's decision, isn't it?" she asked and looked at Arnold expectantly. Helga shook her head in disbelief, but looked at Arnold as well. He felt completely stuck between the two girls; he knew what he _wanted_ to do, but he also knew what his manners told him. He knew Lila lived at the other side of town and she had gotten through the trouble of coming all the way over here. In the end, his kindness won over his desire.

With a nervous sigh, he nodded. "You can come in, Lila." He said, casting a nervous glance at Helga who was staring at him as if he had just grown an extra head.

"Hold on." The blonde said to Lila, putting her hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking in and then walked towards Arnold, grabbing his shoulder a little roughly. "_What_ are you doing?" she asked in a whisper. "What happened to making it clear you weren't interested anymore?"

"I-I'm sorry, Helga. I _know_, but she walked all the way over here just to spend time with me. I can't bring myself to throw her out."

"Let _me_ do it then."

"No! Helga, I-I…" Arnold said in confusion, looking at everything but her. He had never felt himself getting pulled in two different directions before, not like this anyway. On one hand he was extremely happy that Helga was so angry at Lila for his sake, but on the other hand he didn't understand why she cared _this_ much; it was making him hopeful, but he didn't understand for what. "Why do you hate her so much?" he finally asked.

Helga's lips turned into two thin lines. "Because unlike _you_, _I've_ seen what your face looks like when you talk about her." she explained, pointing at the redhead for effect. Her face softened. "You look like a kicked puppy… so of course I hate her."

Arnold had never thought he'd feel so happy from hearing something so hateful, but he did. It wasn't kind to take pleasure in someone else's hatred and therefore, he forced himself to swallow the bliss and do, what he believed was right. "I still can't bring myself to send her away." He said, hoping she would understand that this was only out of thoughtfulness and not because he wasn't agreeing that Lila wasn't the one for him.

Helga stared in disbelief as Arnold turned to Lila and waved her inside. With a growl, she shoved her feet into her shoes.

"What are you doing?" Arnold asked as he helped Lila take her coat off.

"If _she_ is coming in, I'm going out." Helga explained as she wrapped her own coat over her shoulder, too impatient to actually close it right then.

"Helga." Arnold pleaded, but she ignored him.

She stepped closer to Lila, shooting her a look that could probably kill. "I hope for your sake that karma slaps you in the face before _I_ do." She told her before heading towards the door. Arnold pleaded with her once more, but she slammed the door behind her, leaving the blonde and redhead alone in the foyer.

Lila blinked a couple of times. "She's ever so temperamental, isn't she?" she questioned, but it sounded more like a statement. Arnold didn't know what to say, but he didn't like her comment one bit. Yes, Helga was a passionate girl, but she meant well. _He_ was the idiot in this scenario and he couldn't believe he had let it get this far. Lila sighed and shook her head. "What a troubled young woman."

Arnold scowled deeply, hating this arrogant comment more than the former one. "Lila, I'm sorry, but I've changed my mind." He said and grabbed her coat, which he had hung up on the rake a mere second ago.

Lila looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked in a hurt voice.

Arnold ignored the part of him, which felt bad for her and gestured for her to slip her arms in her coat. "Helga's right; I can't continue to hope that you'll change your mind, hoping for an opportunity like this to come all the time. I appreciate you coming over," he said and helped her put the coat on a little forcefully. "but I have to go after Helga."

As soon as Lila was in the coat, Arnold put his hand on her shoulder and almost pushed her out once he had opened the front door. "Arnold, don't do this." Lila pleaded as he grabbed his jacket and put it on, too impatient to close the buttons on it. "I-I know I've been indecisive, but I really do want - - "

"Lila, I don't have time to hear this right now. I need to go after Helga before she gets too far away." Arnold said as he closed the door behind him and left Lila on the stoop. He knew she was calling his name, but he decided that he didn't hear it.

Arnold ran through the street, wondering where Helga could have gone. Where would a girl like that go when she was… _pissed_, he decided. He stopped to think about where to go before he ended up in the opposite direction. He pulled out his phone and called Helga's number, but she didn't pick up. In stubbornness, he tried again and this time she answered.

"Not interested, Arnold."

"I sent Lila home!" he said quickly, hoping she wouldn't hang up on him. When he didn't hear a dial tone, he sighed in relief. "Where are you?"

There was a long silence, but then he could hear Helga make a sound that was a mix of a sigh and a growl. "At the pier." She answered before hanging up. With a smile, Arnold ran towards the harbor.

Helga was indeed sitting at the pier when Arnold got there. She was staring at the water and the ships in it absentmindedly as he sat down next to her. She didn't say anything, seemingly ignoring him.

"I sent her home."

"You said that already."

"I know…"

Helga finally looked at him, but she was a long shot away from smiling. "What changed your mind?"

"_You_ did." The short boy answered honestly. It was the pure truth after all; if Helga hadn't said the things she had, if he hadn't met her, he would probably still follow Lila around like a lost puppy.

Helga's eyebrows lifted at his small confession, but then she smirked proudly. "Took you long enough though." She said and pushed at him, almost pushing him off the pier, but she quickly grabbed him and stopped him from falling.

"Careful!" Arnold reminded her in a chortle and felt his body tingle at the feeling of her hands on him even though it was through the thick fabric of his jacket.

"Don't worry, Football Head; I got you." Helga said in a chuckle and dusted off his shoulders. She looked at his hair before moving a hand in it. "You really should try for the ponytail look again sometime…" she muttered absentmindedly, her fingers going through his hair as if she was mesmerized. Arnold was staring at her and when she looked in his eyes, her own eyes widened for a mere second. She then used both her hands to ruffle his hair until it was a complete mess. "Though I guess this look suits you too."

Arnold groaned as he put his hands on his head, attempting to straighten his hair again. He looked at Helga who was laughing, but it seemed forced for some reason. He forgot his hair when he noticed an unmistakable pink tint on her cream-colored cheeks. Then he felt something he had felt before, but refused to acknowledge that he had; he got the tingles. It started in his toes and spread through his body until all he could feel was this all-consuming joy, he _knew_ he shouldn't be feeling towards his stepsister.

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><p>When Helga and Arnold had gotten home, he heard himself say he wanted to take a shower before dinner. The blonde girl didn't get to reply before he had already stormed up the stairs and locked the bathroom door. He stripped faster than he ever had before and got into the shower. He turned the knob and sighed in relief as the cold water turned his skin numb.<p>

What happened in the bathroom while Arnold showered was not at all disturbing. It wasn't disturbing because it simply hadn't happened. Of course not, that would be ridiculous.

Arnold hadn't stood in the shower and let his mind wander to his stepsister. He didn't imagine her smirking at him, teasing him and stick her soft tongue at him in a childish manner. He hadn't imagined her out of her hoodie or her baggy pants and he hadn't imagined her on his bed, moaning and writhing underneath him. He hadn't imagined her touching his skin, running her hand through his hair again or kissing him breathless.

And he most certainly hadn't reacted on those thoughts because they never happened. All he did was wash his hair; ask him yourself.

When Arnold came out of his completely uneventful shower, he walked to his room to change, still thinking about the thoughts that didn't happen. Where were they coming from? What had changed? Hadn't he been perfectly capable at ignoring and containing these inappropriate thoughts before?

Once Arnold was dressed, he was on his way downstairs, but heard his dad call him before he could walk down. "Could you go and fetch Helga? Miriam says she might be asleep." He said. Arnold wanted nothing more than to have an excuse to walk into Helga's room, but the timing was rotten. He told his dad that he would though, as the kind boy that he was, and turned to approach Helga's room.

He knocked gently. "Helga?" he asked, but no answer. He opened the door slowly and peeked inside. Then he saw something that most definitely did _not_ make his heart beat faster. Why would it? Just because Helga was lying on her bed, in a long t-shirt only, leaving most of her legs exposed to the world, that was no excuse to get reddened cheeks.

Helga was sleeping, Arnold realized when he noticed her closed eyes and the way her chest rose and fell slowly. She was lying on her side, using one of her hands as extra leverage on her pillow. He walked inside, closing the door behind him. He approached her slowly and sat down on his knees next to the bed. He smirked at how peaceful she looked; it was almost alien-looking compared to the usual passionate expression she showed him. He tilted his head to the side, resting his chin on the mattress and watched her for a bit, feeling her hot breath on his face whenever she exhaled.

Then a disturbing thought entered Arnold's mind and he couldn't deny this one because it was way too strong. _No_. he told himself as if scolding a child. _You're not doing that. Why would you even want to do that? Have you lost your mind?!_ He thought and gulped since the thought got more persistent. His finger went to her arm and he caressed it gently. Her skin was warm against his cold fingers and he couldn't help but spread his palm to feel more of her heat.

Helga shivered from the cold feeling, but sighed through her nose in content right after. Arnold moved his face closer to hear, observing her face as he did so. He knew she was hiding the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen behind those eyelids, but it was her lips who stole his attention. They were slightly parted as she breathed slowly, heavily, but without much sound. He didn't think it made her look incredibly sexy at all; he didn't even use words like that.

Yet Arnold gulped and moved closer to the sleeping girl in front of him. Her lips were practically an inch away from his own. _No_. He told himself again. He stopped there, didn't move even an inch more even though his whole body was pleading him to do so. Then something amazingly disturbing happened; Helga readjusted herself in her sleep and therefore, her lips touched his ever so gently.

It was a mere peck at the corner of his mouth and yet Arnold flinched. He moved back, staring at her, but she was still sleeping soundly. He considered walking away, he knew he should have. Yet he heard himself think that he hadn't _quite_ got to feel her lips on his. Now, that wasn't quite fair was it? Helga had kissed him out of the blue, it was only reasonable he got a proper kiss then.

Arnold put his hands on the mattress and leaned closer, making sure nothing but his lips touched Helga so he didn't risk waking her up. He sighed through his nose when the tingly feeling returned to his body. Her mouth was warm, soft and moist from her breathing.

_Oh, God_. Arnold barely got to think before he felt Helga shift. He pulled back instantly, watching as her eyes flickered. He considered standing up, he _wanted_ to stand up so it wasn't so obvious he had been watching her sleep, but he was frozen in place. Her eyes finally opened, revealing the blue color he adored so much.

Helga blinked a couple of times. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not accusingly, but curiously.

"Um… dinner's ready. I was sent to fetch you."

"Any particular reason why you're all the way down here? Why didn't you just knock on my door?"

"I did, but you didn't wake up. You're a sound sleeper, you know." Arnold said in a grin, hoping it looked less tense than he felt.

Helga didn't answer, but simply sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You said dinner was ready?"

"Yeah, I'll, uh.. go downstairs and join them." He answered, stood up and headed towards the door. He could hear her hum in approval, but it was a hollow sound since his mind was screaming at him. _Get out – Get out – Get out!_ He told himself and grabbed the handle, sure that he was safe at this point.

"You know, I thought it was Miriam who had come to wake me up until you kissed me."

Arnold froze. There's simply no other way to describe what happened. His eyes were wider than teacups, the hairs on his body stood straight from his skin and he could hear his heart throb in his ears. He told himself to walk out, to pretend he hadn't heard her, but he didn't. God knew why. He turned to look at her, his neck practically cracking as he did so. She was looking at him nonchalantly, waiting for him to speak.

"I… I am so sorry. I, uh, I wasn't thinking. I - - "

"You know how they say the worst way to get a kiss is to ask for it?" Helga interrupted and grabbed her pants which were at the end of her bed on the headboard. "You should always surprise a girl when you want a kiss, and I must say you've got the surprise part down." She said as she pulled her pants on, watching Arnold as he recoiled at her words. "Though I suppose with a cutesy guy like you, asking if you can kiss someone might be considered charming."

Arnold was just staring at Helga as she stood up from her bed. She was looking around for a bit until she found a hair elastic and grabbed it. _What's going on?_ Was all he could decipher as he felt his hand leave the handle.

Helga hummed thoughtfully. "But I guess the cutesy type isn't very popular among women today, at least not the average, stereotypical, American woman." She muttered as she tied the hair elastic into her hair, making a high ponytail. "Oh, speaking of which… did I ever tell you where my last name is from?" she asked. Arnold shook his head slowly, still staring at her as she whipped her hair back and shook her head to loosen her ponytail a bit. "It's Hungarian. My dad's from Hungary."

"Huh." Was all Arnold could mutter as she walked towards him. She looked at him for a bit and then clapped at his shoulder, signaling for him to move away from the door. He did so, albeit clumsily, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I guess that means I'm not fully American." Helga stated in a casual grin.

Arnold could feel the hidden meaning behind her words, but he still couldn't react on it. _What's going on?_ He wondered again.

"I kinda like waking up like this." Helga admitted casually, almost thoughtfully and that got Arnold's attention on a whole different level. "Want to make a deal?" she asked. "If you catch me sleeping again, wake me up the same way you did before and I won't question it or tell a soul about it."

_What's going on?!_ At this point, Arnold's mind was working as well as an old, rusty grandfather clock that needed a fix. Helga didn't wait for Arnold to accept her condition and simply opened her door and walked outside.

Arnold could feel himself breathing again as soon as Helga was out of his sight, but he tensed when she reappeared. "You, uh… You joining us for dinner or are you scared you're gonna choke on your food?" she asked teasingly.

Arnold didn't answer; he still couldn't get the lump out of his throat. He tried to respond, but she just smirked at him. Before he knew it, she had her hand at the nape of his neck and she had pulled him into a sweet kiss. And Arnold couldn't even bring himself to wonder what was going on anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: And once again I find myself finishing this chapter after **_**midnight**_**. Well, it's lucky that my psychology teacher cancelled tomorrow's class because she's sick so I had time for this since I won't be meeting at 8:35, but 12:30 instead xD**


	7. Unpolluted and untainted truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** Autumn had come and that meant it was a month ago since Helga and Arnold moved into the same house. That meant Miriam planned a special dinner, but Helga didn't know that even as she pretended she did to get Arnold out of going out with Lila who seemed to have changed her mind yet again about him.**_

_**Lila didn't give up so easily though and went to hang out with Arnold at his house to Helga's anger when he couldn't bring himself to throw her out in kindness. Helga left though and that caused Arnold to finally tell Lila to leave and to go and get Helga.**_

_**After a tender moment between the two, Arnold was in complete denial about his stepsister was making him feel, even as he watched her sleeping he denied his urge to kiss her. He did though which caused her to wake up. To his shock, surprise and any other synonyms you can think of, Helga wasn't angry with him and even told him to do the same thing if he caught her sleeping again.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: There's a guest reviewer called ****Kinkalink who asked me to help her/him with their story. I would like to point out to you, Kinkinalink, that I can't answer a guest reviewer here on FanFiction since you don't have a profile so that's why I have to write to you here. You can contact me on DeviantArt or YouTube and we can discuss it further there :3 There are links for both DeviantArt and YouTube on my profile here on .**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7: "Unpolluted and untainted truth"<span>

_Have I not… experienced this before?_ Arnold wondered as he felt the slightly familiar feeling of a pair of warm, moist lips against his own. He tried to open his eyes, but he realized they were already open. Why did they feel closed?

The person kissing him leaned back and smiled at him. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders, tickling his face in the process; the tickle even went all the way down his spine. Her hands were on his chest, caressing the skin he now realized was bare. He looked up at her again, noticing her chest was just as naked as his was; how had he missed that? She was only wearing a pair of tight, light blue jeans, which matched her eye color. Now _this_ he had most definitely _not_ experienced before.

The feeling of the girl, whom he knew was Helga, grinding on top of him caused him to moan. The feeling was so intense he had to look between them and noticed he wasn't wearing any pants. He looked up at her questioningly, silently wondering if they had never been there or if they had disappeared. She smirked at him and put her hands on her thighs. As he watched her move her hands from her thighs to her knees, her jeans disappeared slowly as if by magic until they were completely gone.

Helga leaned down to kiss him and he sighed through his nose. He wanted to move his hands into her hair, on her shoulders, _anywhere_, but his body felt frozen beneath her. He was sure he could feel her lips on his, but it was a ghostly feeling despite her being so close. He felt frustrated; why couldn't he feel her pressed against him when she was obviously so close? Then he realized why… he was dreaming.

Arnold sat up in his bed, gasping in the process. He was panting as he looked around, recognizing the room he was in; of course he did, it was _his_ room after all. He looked at his clock and slammed on it to stop the annoying sound of a mechanical voice calling his name. He put his hands to his face and sighed. _Not again_.

A knock on his door caused Arnold to jolt and even fall out of his bed. "Ow!" he exclaimed and put his hands on his oblong-shaped head. "Y-Yeah?"

"You ok, Football Head?" Helga asked from the other side of the door.

Arnold flinched again and put his thighs together, hoping to hid his growing problem in case his stepsister planned to walk in. "Yeah, you just surprised me so I fell out of my bed." He explained shyly.

He could hear Helga snicker. "Well, I hope your big head cushioned your fall."

"Ha-ha." Arnold said sarcastically with very little amusement in his voice. He was smiling though.

"Anyways, Miriam and Miles wants us to join them for the cake tasting. We're going as soon as we've all eaten breakfast. Sounds good?"

"Oh, s-sure! I'll be down in a moment." Arnold replied and stood up. He could hear Helga walk away outside and he sighed in relief. He grabbed some fresh clothes and looked at himself in the mirror as he did so. He had no idea if there was a dress code for cake tasting, but he hoped a simple shirt and jeans were good enough.

He looked down towards his crotch and growled. _Don't you dare!_ He warned when he saw his body had finally calmed down. With a sigh, he walked out of his room and went to join them all for breakfast. He sat down next to Helga, as usual, ignoring how good she looked when her hair was down and all messy.

"So, you two ready for some cake tasting?" Miles asked as he put a bowl of fruit salad on the table.

Helga looked around. "That's a very light breakfast." She observed since there was nothing else on the table besides the medium-sized fruit bowl.

"Well, we are going to be eating a lot of cake, Helga, so we can't have our stomachs full, can we?" Miriam asked teasingly and went to grab some fruit salad. Helga shrugged; she figured she was right. She was never all that hungry in the morning anyways, thanks to Miriam lack of skills in cooking.

She sent the bowl to Arnold once she had grabbed what she wanted and noticed he was looking at her. "What?" she questioned as she put her spoon into her mouth.

"Uh, n-nothing." He replied and scooped some fruit salad onto his plate. Helga looked at him curiously, but then gave up and shrugged.

* * *

><p>Arnold finally felt normal once they had reached the bakery. He was going to give it all in the cake tasting, even if only to distract himself from this morning's dream.<p>

They went inside and it was obvious the staff was expecting them since there was a table for four all ready for them with a bunch of platters, all with four small pieces of cakes on each platter.

"Oh, this is perfect. Thank you." Miriam said happily and sat down next to Miles. While her daughter and stepson sat down in front of them, Miriam eyed the cakes. She frowned considerably when she noticed one with pink cream in it. "This one is out of the question." She said and gave the platter to one of the bakers who scurried away with it.

Miles didn't question Miriam's reaction at all, but Arnold looked confused at Helga who he noticed was buck-eyed. "What was wrong with the pink one?" he asked in a whisper.

Helga leaned closer. "There was strawberries in it."

"So?"

"I'm allergic… I just didn't think Miriam knew that."

"She's your mom; of course she knows."

"Bob's my dad and he sure as hell didn't." Helga retorted, but smiled at her mom thankfully.

"So," Miles said and smacked his hands together, rubbing them in excitement. "which would you like to try first?"

"That depends what's in them." Arnold said as he looked at the different platters, trying to decipher the recipes.

"That's what I'm here for." A female pâtissier said with a wide grin. She gestured to each of the cake samples, naming them and telling what was in them in details.

Once the cake tasting had begun, they all started enjoying themselves immensely. Some cakes made them cringe their noses and others made them swoon. Arnold caught himself observing Helga's reaction to each one of the cakes and made mental notes of which she liked and disliked; she seemed to be fond of chocolate.

When the recipe was chosen, Miriam and Miles went to discuss the design of the cake with the pâtissier, leaving Arnold and Helga alone at the table.

"You like chocolate, don't you?" Arnold asked a little teasingly.

"Hey, anyone who claims they don't are either liars, health-maniacs or insane." She insisted. "Don't tell me you don't like chocolate?"

"I do, but you seem to love it a tad more."

"It's just been a while since I had any!" Helga insisted while pouting. Arnold didn't have it in him to apologize for teasing her because he was enjoying her sudden shyness too much; it didn't happen too often after all.

Once Miriam and Miles had finished with the pâtissier, they told their children to grab the remains of the samples to bring home. To no one's surprise, Helga grabbed the chocolate ones.

* * *

><p>Despite feeling quite full already, Arnold and Helga still grabbed some of the cake samples and ran into Arnold's room to eat them.<p>

"I'm going to gain five pounds from eating all this cake." Helga declared as she sat crisscross on the carpet-clad floor. She didn't seem to care though as she scooped up some Marcel Gateau on her fork and practically shoved it into her mouth.

Arnold sat down next to her. "Knowing you, you'll probably lose them within a week." He said in humor.

"You telling me I work out too much?"

"Oh, no. No." Arnold insisted, remembering the first time he had seen Helga work out in the garden. It was the first time he had seen her out of her usual hoodies and baggy pants. It was before the incident where he saw her in her bra; he had realized she was actually quite slender. She had what you'd call an athletic body, her muscles were toned when she flexed, but they were almost invisible if she relaxed. He always thought that if a guy decided to attack her, he was in for one hell of a surprise. He wouldn't get out of that without a broken bone… or a concussion.

Helga's giggling caught Arnold's ear. She pointed at him in an oddly cute way. "You've got chocolate on your cheek and your mouth." She stated, trying to stifle her laughter.

Arnold blushed a bit and reached for a tissue, but realized they hadn't brought any. "Oh, uh, I'll go and get some napkins." He said and put his plate down, ready to stand up.

"No, no, hold on. Don't bother." Helga said as if it was a huge bother to go downstairs. "Come here." She made a come-hither gesture before licking her thumb and rubbed Arnold's cheek with it.

He wanted to tell her it was gross, to react how anyone else probably would have reacted in that situation, but he realized he didn't find it gross at all; if anything he felt embarrassed about liking the feeling of her hand on his cheek, saliva on it or not.

Helga snickered. "Criminy, it won't come off!"

"You're kidding!"

"I'm not!" Helga insisted and pulled her hand back. She looked around, thinking, but then she looked at him again. "Stubborn." She told the chocolate before moving promptly towards him.

Arnold inhaled sharply when he felt his stepsister's tongue on his cheek, licking the chocolate off in one swift motion. He felt his knuckles turning white from gripping his pants in nerviness while the rest of his body was frozen in its position. Helga moved to the corner of his mouth, trying to remove the chocolate there as well. Her tongue felt soft and she licked the chocolate off slowly. Arnold couldn't help but let a moan escape.

Once he did, Helga moved back as she gave him a satisfied smile. "I really do like chocolate…" she hummed and leaned back against the bed. She watched him as she scooped up more of the cake and smiled as she left the fork in her mouth.

Arnold blinked in shock. _Typical!_ He thought in the back of his head as she continued eating her cake as if nothing had happened. _As soon as I start feeling normal around her, she goes and does something like this! How am I supposed to act around her now?_

"Hey, want to play a game?" Helga asked, put her plate down and moved towards his TV on all fours.

Arnold shut his eyes. "Yeah, sure." He said with a bit of a strained voice, happy he reacted quickly before he saw anything he wouldn't be able to tear his eyes off.

Just then Arnold's cell rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Hello?" he asked and noticed Helga had sat on her knees and was looking at him curiously. "Oh, hi, Rhonda." He said and Helga stuck her tongue out in displeasure at the name; he had to hold back a snicker at the sight.

Helga kept looking through Arnold's games while she silently listened to his conversation with Rhonda. "A party?" he repeated. "Isn't that kind of short notice?" he asked. Helga couldn't help but look curiously at him again. "Oh, your parents didn't tell you they were leaving until just now…" he said thoughtfully aloud, mostly to tell Helga some details.

That made the blonde girl curious; she knew Rhonda had money, but just how much money did she have to be able to throw a random party out of nowhere? _Oh, well. Not that I really care_. She decided and looked through the games again.

"Uh… sure, I might go, but, uh… is Helga invited too?" Arnold asked, looking at Helga who stuck her tongue out in disgust once more even without looking at him.

"Of course she is!" Rhonda answered loudly at the other side of the phone and Arnold put the phone away from his ear so Helga could hear her. "I just don't have Helga's number, but you two live together so I figured you'd tell her."

Helga sat next to Arnold and put her ear near the phone. She was in shock; why was Rhonda inviting her? She hated her, didn't she?

"Ok, Rhonda. We'll think about it, ok? Thank you for the invitation." Arnold said and after a short moment, hung up. He looked expectantly at Helga. "Well?"

The blonde crossed her arms and shook her head. "I _hate_ parties. And why would Rhonda want to invite me anyway? It's fishy." She stated.

"Oh, not at all. Rhonda always invites _everyone_. She cares more about the whole class being at her party than whether she likes people or not. She was fighting with Nadine once and they hadn't talked for a week, but she invited her to her party anyway." Arnold explained.

That made Helga less suspicious and she moved to lean against the bed. "Do you really want to go?" she asked.

Arnold shrugged. "I'm not going if you're not." He said with a loyal smile. Truth be told, he was never extremely fond of Rhonda's parties; they usually turned out to be these parties that would start out innocently enough, but all of a sudden everyone was so drunk they couldn't stand and these awkward party games would begin and he didn't care much for either of that. Though he did think it might be fun to actually party with Helga.

"Oh, that's just cruel; a really low way of guilt tripping me into doing this." Helga said and stuck her tongue out at him, but then smiled. "Fine. I'll go. Who knows? It might be fun… but I'm _not_ getting all dressed up."

"No one expects you to. It's only Rhonda who does and she likes it like that."

Helga snorted before moving towards Arnold's games again. "I can imagine."

* * *

><p>Arnold and Helga spent most of their day playing video games until it was time to go to Rhonda's party. Helga had stood by her word and not dressed up, but she wasn't wearing one of her hoodies either. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a loose white top with black and pink graffiti on it, which was loose enough to hang down one of her shoulders. Arnold was wearing one of his blue jeans as well along with a black dress shirt. He usually didn't like dark colors, but Helga had insisted it looked good because it was different and had even tied his hair into a ponytail.<p>

Arnold kept touching the ponytail as he sat next to Helga in the car. He was feeling extremely self-conscious because of it. "Are you sure I don't look stupid?" he asked and looked at himself in the rearview mirror.

Helga chuckled. "I _swear_. You should be happy you can pull it off; most guys can't… and they do it anyway. Besides," she answered and flipped her own ponytail. "now we match."

Arnold snickered at her comment, feeling less conscious already. "Oh, turn left here." He said.

Helga did and saw Rhonda's mansion up on the hill. "Whoa. Who are her parents anyway?"

"Her dad Buckley is a stockbroker and I'm not sure what her mom Brooke does exactly… maybe she assists him?" Arnold suggested with a shrug.

"Sheesh. And my dad is just the Beeper King." Helga joked before parking outside the mansion.

"Beeper King?" Arnold repeated in confusion, the name ringing a bell. "Wait. You mean _the_ Beeper King?"

"_The_ Beeper King? My dad has competition?" Helga asked as she unlocked her belt and stepped out of the car.

"The one who is in all those commercials?" Arnold asked as he joined her outside. "That's your dad?"

"You just realized? How many people are called _Big Bob_?" she asked jokingly.

"Well, I-I know, but… you never told me _directly_ so…" he insisted, but that just caused Helga to laugh.

"I knew it! You really are dense!" she stated before looking towards the front door and quirking a curious eyebrow at the sight of a butler standing stiff near it. "Who's that?"

"Her butler." Arnold replied just as uncomfortably before waving at the man. "Arnold Shortman and Helga Pataki."

The man nodded and opened the door for them. Helga looked at him over her shoulder as they walked in. "Who does Rhonda think she is? The queen of Hillwood?" she asked semi-jokingly and looked around. The mansion looked like… well, however you'd think a mansion would look like; except it was filled with teenagers.

"Helga!" a happy female voice said.

Helga smiled when she recognized the girl. "Phoebe! You're here!" she said in surprise and noticed Gerald following her behind her. She quickly hugged the girl. "You two are here together?" she asked curiously while Gerald said hello to Arnold.

"Oh, well, um…" Phoebe muttered shyly and looked at Gerald for help.

The tall, African-American boy looked guilty and uneasy as Helga stared him down. "Um… please don't kill me." He pleaded.

Helga laughed loudly. "I won't… as long as you behave that is." She said and put her arm over Phoebe. "Think of me as Phoebe's big brother. If you hurt _her_, I will hurt _you_."

"Helga!" Phoebe scolded in embarrassment, but she couldn't help but smile as well; it was nice to know Helga cared that much. "W-We'll go and get some drinks." She said and pulled her taller friend with her.

"Be careful. I think Helga's serious." Arnold said with a smile.

"She doesn't have to worry; I like Phoebe." Gerald said in a grin and pushed at Arnold's shoulder. "By the way, I didn't think this would be Helga's scene."

"It's not, but I convinced her." Arnold explained, earning a proud pat on his back from his taller friend.

"Nice. By the way, Lila's been asking for you." Gerald said, but noticed Arnold's grimace. "What's wrong? I figured that would make you happy."

"Actually, no… I've given up on her."

"You serious?"

"Yeah… though I guess I haven't been clear about it since she's asking for me."

Gerald groaned in relief. "_Finally_! I was just waiting for this dance of death to stop." He said.

Arnold was obviously confused. "What? Really? I-I thought everyone in the class was kinda cheering for us to get together or something." He admitted.

Gerald tilted his head from side to side. "That's how it started, man, but soon everyone got tired of you two. I can't speak for everyone, but I think Lila's been really annoying through this whole thing between you two. Besides, you look like a kicked puppy whenever she hurts you."

Arnold looked at the floor. "Helga said the same thing."

"See? She hasn't even known you for that long and even she can see you should be with someone else." Gerald said in a grin. Arnold smiled at him; he knew that too now. The problem was he was starting to wonder if he _should_ be with someone else or not. Particularly because he had a candidate in mind which was completely off limits. And yet he had started entertaining hope lately.

"Oh, good evening, Arnold."

Arnold flinched at the sweet voice and gulped as he turned to look at Lila. "Oh, hi, Lila…"

Lila seemed about to say something, but then frowned when she saw him. She put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Why are you wearing your hair like that?" she asked, her shoulders shaking form her laughter.

Arnold frowned. "Helga's idea; she said it looked good."

"It looks rather girly, Arnold." Lila insisted.

"Naw, I actually think Helga's right." Gerald said and played with Arnold's ponytail teasingly. "Looks good on you, buddy." He added. Arnold waved his hand off, but smiled thankfully at him. He decided not to care that Lila was shaking her head in disbelief.

"I was hoping you'd come tonight. Actually, I want to talk to you about something… Do you mind?" she asked as she pointed towards the stairs, indicating she wanted to be alone for this conversation.

Arnold sighed and followed her. He figured it was a good idea to talk to Lila and make it official that he had given up on her. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he even had any romantic feelings towards her at all. And if he didn't, when did they disappear?

"Arnold." Lila said and said boy noticed they were now alone in a room. A bedroom he realized when he noticed the bed. That made him feel queasy; one thing was to be alone with Lila, but did it have to be in a bedroom? "I want to apologize to you." She said softly to Arnold's surprise. "I know I've been ever so indecisive and that I haven't been very kind to you through all this. I've been going back and forth, unsure of what I want… but I swear that's over now. I've made my decision and I'm sticking to it this time. I like you, Arnold. And I want to try and date you." She said in a smile that clearly indicated she thought Arnold would be ecstatic to hear this.

Problem was it was at least a month too late for Arnold to hear this. He bit his lower lip and sighed. He didn't like hurting people, but he knew he had to this time unless he wanted to fool both himself and her in the long run.

"Lila… I'm happy to hear that, but… I don't want to reconcile." he said gently, noticing the shocked look on the redhead's face. "You've told me this before; that you've finally made your decision, but you always go back on your word and I can't do this anymore."

"B-But I mean it this time, I swear. Arnold, please…" Lila said and approached Arnold. He could smell her perfume now, it was something inanely sweet like strawberries mixed with sugar and honey. He felt like he was in a candy store, but not in a good way. Before he could pull away, she had kissed his cheek.

Arnold flinched and glared at her. "I believe you, Lila, like I've done the other times… The problem is I've given up now… and I think I don't have any romantic feelings towards you at all." He said with what he hoped sounded as determination. He didn't want to risk her trying to kiss him again.

"… None?" Lila inquired in a hurt voice.

"None… I'm actually quite sure now because… all I really feel after hearing you say this is guilt because I don't feel that way towards you anymore." Arnold said and put his hand on the door handle. "I'm really sorry."

"Arnold, wait." Lila said and put her hand over his before he could open the door. "Please give me one last chance. Just _one_ last chance."

"I can't, Lila. This isn't about trusting you anymore, it's about me not having feelings for you. I can't change how I feel." Arnold insisted, staring straight into her eyes; hoping she would understand. Her lips were quivering and he imagined she was holding back tears. He was about to look away, he couldn't handle seeing someone cry because of him, but Lila stopped him from turning away.

Arnold was in a complete state of shock. He felt frozen in place and simple body mechanics were failing him. He wanted to run away, but he was just staring at Lila's closed eyelids which he noticed were coated with a blue eye shadow that didn't suit her at all. Her lips tasted of strawberries coated with sugar, it was sickeningly sweet and at the smell of strawberries, he finally pulled away.

"Lila!" he scolded and tried opening the door, but she kissed him again. He told her to stop in a muffled voice and whipped his head away, only for her to start kissing his jaw and throat. It felt disgusting. It was nothing like when Helga kissed him or touched him. He didn't want to harm Lila, but he felt himself push her away by her shoulders. Once she had let go of him, he opened the door and stormed outside.

"Arnold, please!" she begged, but he didn't stop this time. He ran down the stairs, feeling his heart jump into his throat in the form a lump, which made it hard for him to breathe. He felt like throwing up and his hand rubbed roughly against his lips to get the repulsively saccharine taste off.

Arnold heard Gerald asking him what had happened, but he didn't answer as he just headed towards Helga who was talking with Phoebe with a drink in her hand. "Helga." He said in urgency.

The blonde girl looked at him, her eyebrows knitting together when she saw the distressed look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I want to go home… _please_."

Helga stared at him in shock. "We just got here." She reminded him, but patted Phoebe goodbye on her shoulder nevertheless.

"I-I know, but…" Arnold said, trying to figure out a way to convince her, but Helga wasn't hesitating. She took him by his hand and pulled him out of the room and towards the front door. She remembered the drink in her hand and handed it to the butler near the door who frowned at her, but opened the door for them anyhow.

Helga looked at Arnold over her shoulder as they headed towards the car, noticing how he seemed about to either throw up or start sobbing. She stopped near the car and turned to hug him. She had no idea what was going on, but the face he was making made her shiver; it was worse than the kicked puppy look. His arms went around her and he held her tightly, almost desperately.

"We'll talk when we got home." Helga said, caressed the back of his head and leaned back to look at him. He nodded at her and sat in the car once she opened the door. She walked around the car, but noticed someone coming out of the house in her peripheral vision. She halted when she saw it was Lila and that she was heading towards them.

Helga put two and two together and walked towards her. Lila was saying something, but the blonde wasn't listen. When she was close enough, Helga lifted her hand and slapped Lila so hard the sound echoed in the dark night. Lila put her hand on her cheek and looked at Helga in fear and confusion.

Helga pointed warningly at the redhead. "I'm not sure what you did to him… but since karma refused to do it, _I_ slapped you instead." She said and turned her back to her. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She added before walking back to the car. She sat inside and looked at Arnold who seemed oblivious to what had just happened.

Helga looked at Lila in the rearview before starting the car and driving backwards. She couldn't help herself; since Lila didn't move, Helga drove dangerously close to the girl. Lila jumped back in fright even though Helga was nowhere near hitting her, before driving away.

* * *

><p>It felt like an eternity before they reached their house, though in reality it had only taken them ten minutes. As soon as Helga stopped the car, Arnold jumped out of it. She called him before jumping out herself, quickly locking the doors before following him. He walked into the house and left the door open, but didn't wait for her. She followed him up the stairs and through the door into his room, which he had also left open for her.<p>

"Ok, all I know is that this is about Lila." Helga said before closing the door behind her. She was grateful that Miles and Miriam had already gone to bed, both believing their children would be out late and didn't want to stay up and wait for them. The blonde crossed her arms, watching as Arnold pulled his hands through his hair. He was breathing hard and he looked around pensively. "Arnold, what happened?"

Arnold looked at Helga. He felt so guilty when he saw the worried expression on her face. He knew that wasn't the only reason though and that was why he was hesitating. He knew he had to tell her, he knew he _wanted_ to tell her, but he felt so guilty for not having pushed Lila away earlier or have been capable of avoiding it.

"Lila kissed me." Arnold said without any warning and as soon as he heard himself saying it, he put his palms against his eyes to stop himself for crying. He hated himself for not having been able to stop her. He hated himself for letting it get this far and he hated himself because all this made him realize all the more how strongly he already felt for Helga. She was his stepsister, someone he couldn't have. It felt like history was repeating itself, but in a different direction.

Arnold removed his hands and noticed Helga had sat down on his bed. His heart was beating, but not with excitement; he was scared. The look she was giving him was one he couldn't decipher, but there was a hint of anger in there.

"Sit." Helga ordered and Arnold felt himself move towards her and sit down in front of her. He was about to look down in shame, but she grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "Explain. How did this happen?"

"Lila said she wanted to talk and I just wanted to tell her I didn't have any interest anymore. Then she started talking about how she was sure this time and she wanted me to give her a chance."

"And you fell for that?"

"No!"

"Then why did you let her kiss you?"

"I didn't _let_ her do anything! She had me trapped against the door, she was holding the doorknob and I couldn't get away before I pushed her!" Arnold insisted, hearing his voice starting to sob. He felt miserable. Helga was clearly angry with him, no matter the reason and he was just as angry with himself.

He felt Helga's hand leave his chin and it felt slightly tender from her hard grip. "Where did she kiss you?" the abrasive blonde asked.

Arnold looked down in shame. "Cheek… f-first." He admitted. He could see her body shift on the bed and then felt her lips against his cheek. He froze, but not the same way he had done when Lila had kissed him. He simply didn't wish to move at all.

"First?" Helga questioned in his ear.

The boy shivered a bit from the tickle of her whisper. "Th-Then…" he hesitated shyly.

"Then?"

Arnold gulped. "M-My mouth…" he said. Her hands went to his cheeks and she kissed him affectionately, her fingertips caressing his cheeks in a slow motion. He was about to close his eyes, but then she moved away, looking at him intensely. "What are you doing…?" he panted, feeling how his heartbeat was speeding up.

"Cleaning you." Helga replied nonchalantly and kissed his nose for effect. He gave her a questioning look, but he showed no sign that he wanted her to stop. "You _reek_ of her… You smell like strawberries, sugar and honey and it's nauseating because it's how _she_ smells." She explained and kissed him again, this time harder. He gasped when he felt her tongue lick his lips, but she pulled away once more before he could close his eyes. "Where else?"

"J… Jaw and throat…" Arnold said and lifted his head the moment Helga dived for his jaw. He moaned at the intense feeling of her lips caressing him from his chin and down to his Adam's apple. She suckled on the bump and she felt it move when he gulped. It took little to no effort on her part to get him to lie down on the bed; his muscles were weakening from her touch. He was looking at her with unadulterated desire, feeling his fingers twitch from wanting to touch her so badly, but fear was holding him back; he didn't want to risk her stopping.

Helga grabbed Arnold's hands and moved them above his head, letting herself lean down until their chests touched and he gulped again, his hips moving upwards inevitably. Her nose nuzzled against his and he couldn't resist her lips being so close to his own. He lifted his head, kissing her fervently, hoping his enthusiasm didn't cause her to turn away, but she didn't. She opened her mouth, coaxing him into opening his as well and when he did, he felt her tongue against his own.

Arnold was shivering at this point, his moans growing more frequent. His tangled fingers tightened around hers desperately and she tightened back, encouraging his action. At this point, she was seated on his hips and was starting to grind against him. He sighed sharply through his nose when he felt heat collect in his lower abdomen and he knew if she kept this up, something very embarrassing would happen.

As if Helga knew what he was thinking, she stopped the kiss and smiled down at him. "Feel better?" she asked, her breath heavy and ragged. Arnold nodded gently, smiling a little sheepishly. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent. "You definitely smell better…" she stated in a whisper.

Arnold tittered lowly. "I smell like you now…" he whispered self-consciously, his smile twitching timidly.

She giggled in a low voice. "Complaining?" she asked, but Arnold shook his head because that was the unpolluted and untainted truth.

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I hope that since I didn't upload a chapter yesterday that this chapter being uploaded early today can make up for it xD**


	8. What she wanted was his kiss

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After the kisses between Helga and Arnold, he wasn't quite sure how to act around her. After they had gone cake tasting with their parents, they were invited to a party at Rhonda's place. At the party, Lila wanted to talk to Arnold alone and she told him, she wanted to be with him. To her sadness, he was already over her and told her he didn't have any interest in her anymore. Before he could leave, she managed to kiss him several times by holding him back in the room.**_

_**When Arnold and Helga got home, he told her what had happened and she declared she was going to clean him. In comparison to their first couple of kisses, this was far more heated and passionate. Arnold still wasn't sure how Helga felt about him, but now he couldn't deny how he felt about her anymore; he was in love.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Sorry this took so long! I have no excuse, well except school: BOO! Dx**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 8: "What she wanted was his kiss"<span>

It had been a while since Arnold had such a good night's sleep… and a dreamless one too. He wondered if it was due to Helga's very original way of comforting him last night that his dream-self hadn't felt the need to kiss Helga in his sleep.

Arnold put his arms behind his back and stretched. He was thankful it was Sunday; it meant he and Helga could hang out. With a grin, he skipped down the stairs and into the dining room where he found his dad and Miriam in the middle of making the table ready.

"Good morning, son." Miles greeted and gave Arnold a sideways hug before continuing with his task.

"Good morning." He said and looked towards Helga's chair, but it was empty. "Where's Helga?" he asked and looked around as if he was expecting her to jump him just for a laugh.

"She's still asleep." Miriam told him. The disappointment on his face must have been evident, because she chuckled kindly. "How about you go and wake her up? Breakfast is ready soon anyway."

Arnold perked up at the suggestion and walked up the stairs. It was silly really; he had seen her only last night and yet he was looking forward to seeing her again. He lived with her! He was starting to wonder if he was getting slightly obsessed in this new development between them when his hand touched Helga's door handle.

"Wait…" Arnold told himself when he sensed deja-vu going through him.

"_If you catch me sleeping again, wake me up the same way you did before and I won't question it or tell a soul about it."_ Helga's voice told him in his head.

He gulped nervously. _I am… technically about to wake her up… aren't I?_ He thought and knocked gently, the modest part of him hoping she was already awake. No reply.

With another gulp, Arnold walked inside and closed the door behind him. He felt like a burglar in his own house as he looked towards Helga who was sleeping under her covers. He titled his head curiously at her position; she had one leg out of the covers and cover between her legs in some sort of fetal position. The cover was covering most of her face and all he could really see was her hair and closed eyes.

Arnold approached her quietly and sat down on his knees near her. _I wonder if… I wonder if she remembers what she said? Or if she had been joking? Or how she would react if I just woke her up like a normal stepbrother would?_ He wondered all these things, but felt himself move closer to her. He quickly realized he couldn't reach her mouth under the covers so he shut his eyes tight and kissed her forehead.

He leaned back, waiting for a reaction, but he had perhaps been too gentle because she didn't stir one bit. He leaned towards her again and gave her temple a couple of slow kisses. He leaned back to look at her again and she had shifted a bit, but still no sigh of her waking up.

_Oh, this is a really bad idea…_ Arnold thought and yet he started kissing Helga on the places he could reach on her face; forehead, temple, cheek, nose, neck and eventually shoulder because her cover fell down.

"That tickles."

Arnold whipped back, staring into her new open eyes. He blinked a couple of times, showing he wasn't amused. "When… When did you wake up?" he asked sheepishly, his fingers curling on her covers.

"When you kissed my temple… the second time." Helga answered a little tiredly, but smirked nevertheless. "Speaking of which… why were you kissing me all over?" she asked before pulling the cover down a bit, revealing the big t-shirt she was sleeping in.

"I… couldn't reach your mouth." The blonde boy admitted. Helga cooed sympathetically and moved her hands to his cheeks. She pulled him close to her and kissed him affectionately, sighing through her nose as she did so. He sighed as well; there was something oddly soothing about her kisses. It was like she could take all his pain and worries away with this simple gesture.

Helga stopped the kiss and looked at Arnold whose eyes were half-lidded at this point. She bit on her lower lip mischievously and then grabbed him by the arms. In no time at all, she had him pulled on top of her and then she swung him to the side so he was captured between her and the wall behind him. While he gasped, surprised at both the action and her strength during it, she simply caressed his arm and moved for another kiss. He closed the space between them and sighed once more.

Helga moaned as she stopped the kiss and nuzzled her nose against his. "Good morning." She said and he snickered.

"Good morning…" he answered shyly, wondering if he should move or not.

"We'll just pretend that's morning wood." She teased as she kissed his nose and then moved to lie on her back. Arnold blushed heavily and couldn't help but move his legs up towards his stomach. He hadn't even noticed it himself. "What time is it?" she asked tiredly, closing her eyes as if she was considering going back to sleep.

"About 8am…" Arnold muttered.

"Oh, sheesh." Helga said, yawned and sat up. Her hand stayed over his arm for a bit as she rubbed her eyes and then got out of the bed. She stretched, her t-shirt lifting in the process and Arnold blushed. He hid his face in the pillow, hoping it didn't seem suspicious. He heard her laugh and moved his head just enough so he could see her with one eye. "Are you sniffing my pillow?"

"N-No!" Arnold insisted and sat up on his knees.

She snickered. "I'm just teasing you." She said, bend forward until she was at his eye level and put her hand on his head. Her hand went from his brow to the back of his head before she kissed him. He sighed again; it felt so heavenly just to have her lips on his. "I'll go change." She said before arching her back and heading in the direction of her closet.

Arnold stood up from the bed. "I'll give you some privacy." He told her as he walked towards the door.

"What a gentleman." She teased and he shot her a glare. "Especially since I didn't even ask you to leave."

"I thought it was implied?" Arnold questioned as he opened the door. All Helga did was shrug though before grabbing some clothes from her closet.

He stared at her for a bit before walking out mechanically and closing the door behind him. _That was a joke, right? She wouldn't actually… would she?_ He wondered, but decided it was _not_ the time to think about this… So he decided, while he waited for Helga, to think about anything else his mind could come up with. Somehow it felt just as awkward waiting for her as the thought of just leaving had.

It took less than ten seconds before Helga joined him in the hallway. "Waiting for me; aren't you sweet?" the blonde joked and closed her door.

"It's not like you took long." He defended as he followed her down the stairs.

"Oh, I wasn't complaining." She retorted, bumping her shoulder against his.

He smiled adoringly at her; he simply couldn't help himself. He was surprised at how much he liked her already. She was nothing like his former crushes. She was temperamental, but also caring. She was stubborn, yet spontaneous. She loved pink, but was without a doubt a tomboy. She was just full of these contradictions and they intrigued him. She was a puzzle with missing pieces, but he was planning to search for the shards anyhow. He looked forward to searching for them every single day.

And that's when Arnold remembered why he even had the privilege and opportunity to see Helga every day; they were stepsiblings. They were living together as a family, their parents were getting married; soon it would even be official. It didn't matter how much you twisted and turned it, it didn't matter how many excuses you made; he was falling in love with his stepsister… and that was _not_ a good thing.

Arnold was gloomy by the time they were eating and his family noticed right away. "Son, is something wrong?" Miles asked, but the boy didn't hear him. Miles looked at his stepdaughter for help and she nodded. She quickly licked her fork clean in one swift motion and then poked Arnold's arm with it.

"Ow!" he exclaimed and started rubbing his arm. "What did you do that for?" he asked as he glowered at Helga. Rather than answering, the girl simply pointed at Miles with her fork. He looked at him questioningly.

"Is something the matter?" the blonde man asked.

"Huh? Oh, no. I was just… daydreaming."

"The hell you were." Helga retorted and Arnold glared at her. "When you daydream, you have this goofy grin on your face." She said and mimicked an obviously ridiculous face. "You're wearing the kicked puppy look right now."

Miles and Miriam nodded in agreement and Arnold look between them all. _Is it… that bad?_ He wondered and gulped. _Kicked puppy… the same face I made when Lila hurt me… Oh, no. This can't be happening_. He thought in slight panic, but felt himself force a smile.

"I'm fine. I just didn't get enough sleep." He insisted. He was unsure whether his family believed him or not, but they didn't probe after that.

"Oh," Miriam said as if she just remembered something. "I don't believe I have ever told either of you about how Helga used to be a ballerina."

Formerly mentioned girl, who had been in the middle of drinking, choked and spit some of the juice on her plate. She glared at her mom, ignoring the mess she had just made. "And there's no need to tell them now either." She hissed.

"But, honey, we're still in the process of getting to know each other. This is just another way to tell Miles and Arnold about ourselves; good and bad."

"This information tells them abso-fucking-lutely _nothing_ about me since it wasn't me who wanted to attend ballet lessons in the first place."

"You were so good at it though."

"That's only because Bob would ground me whenever my teacher told him I wasn't behaving!"

"That's horrible!" Arnold bellowed in shock and Helga nodded at him in agreement.

Miriam sighed. "Oh, very well. I suppose you're right."

"So, Bob let you stop?" Arnold asked.

"No, I was kicked off the team actually."

"Kicked off?" Arnold and Miles repeated in shock. "What happened?"

Helga smirked at Miriam who was pouting. "Why don't you tell them?"

"I'd rather we didn't tell them at all."

"You gotta stop blaming yourself, especially since _I_ don't." Helga insisted. "Besides, you're the one who thought we needed to get to know each other; good _and_ bad."

"Oh…" Miriam said in slight anger. "_Fine_! Her chest grew too big and it's all my fault!" she half-shouted and crossed her arms childishly. Miles and Arnold looked at each other, as if trying to confirm what they thought they just heard, and then looked at Helga who was smirking.

"What… does that mean?" Arnold asked.

"Basically, if your boobs are too big, they'll throw you off balance. Also, a ballerina is supposed to be skinny as a twig and with a chest flatter than a pancake." Helga explained with a shrug. "I was kicked out when I hit puberty."

"I see…" Arnold muttered, forcing his eyes to stay at hers even though they kept insisting going south.

"I grew fast." Helga said and winked at Arnold who blushed intensely. "And Miriam is blaming herself because who else did I inherit my breast size from?" she continued and looked at Miriam who was crossing her arms over her chest, subconsciously hiding them.

"You had such potential… damn my genetics." Miriam muttered under her breath. Helga rolled her eyes while Miles moved towards her mom. He started whispering something in her ear that caused her to giggle and slap him on the shoulder. Helga and Arnold showed clear expressions of disgust.

"I do _not_ want to know what you said to make my mom smile like that." The blonde girl said before standing up and moving out of the dining room. "I'm done. Arnold, you joining me upstairs?"

"Uh, s-sure. If you two don't want us to help cleaning?" Arnold asked as he stood up.

Miriam shook her head as she caressed Miles' cheek. "Oh, that's all right, dear. Oh, but do tell Helga that we will be out to talk with the officiant today so we won't be home until tonight." She answered and waved Arnold off. He barely got to turn around before Miriam and Miles kissed, something he had seen a couple of times before, but wasn't quite used to yet. He shivered before heading upstairs.

Arnold walked into his room and smiled when he saw Helga there. "Miriam told me to tell you that she and dad are going to be out all day." He told her, noticing she had her guitar in her arms as she sat crisscross on his bed.

"So we've got the house to ourselves for the whole day?"

Arnold halted at the question, realizing the truth behind it. "Uh, yeah." He said in a way he hoped sounded casual even though he could feel his heart all the way up in his throat. He picked up his mouth harmonica and went to join her on his bed. She was playing a soft melody he recognized instantly. "Is that the song you've been working on?"

Helga smiled, never taking her eyes off her fingers playing with the strings. "Yeah… I think I'm starting to get somewhere. I still don't have a clue what it should be about though. I've got no idea for the lyrics whatsoever."

"Maybe you don't need lyrics?"

"Maybe not… but if I get struck by inspiration then I will." The blonde girl responded and put a hand over the strings to stop the melody. "Any special request for our jam session?"

Arnold grinned. "Not particularly, but I'm kinda in the mood for something happy." He admitted. _Anything to get my mind off the situation I'm in…_

"Something happy, huh…?" the blonde muttered and began playing a familiar tune. "_If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands_!"

"Not _that_ happy!"

"_Because I'm happy! Clap along if you feel_ - - "

"Helga!"

"Well then, what do you mean by happy?" Helga asked with a crooked smile.

Arnold thought for a bit and then moved his mouth harmonica towards his lips. "You know this one?" he asked and started playing.

Helga listened for a bit while bobbing her head. "Oh, yeah!" she remembered and started singing. "_I don't need it anymore. Forget about your worries, forget it all_." she sang and put her fingers on her guitar and started playing. "_Throw your troubles out the door. Cause maybe you don't need them anymore_."

"I can't believe you know it." Arnold said in surprise and listened to his stepsister sing and play a song he had loved for a while.

"I know it, but it's not usually my style."

"I like it… _Hey, girl. Do you mind if I call you up and come over? We could have a good time, drinking red wind, sitting on the sofa. Hey, girl. I've told you before; you're my little soldier. Hey, girl. Let's worry about it when we're older_."

"It's definitely a feel-good song." Helga said as she finished the melody. "It'd make me feel all fuzzy inside if my heart wasn't made of stone."

"It is not!"

"Fine, maybe it's not. But I'm really not into fuzzy, mushy, lovey-dovey things."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never been in love and I'm not planning to go and change that either."

_Ow…_ Arnold thought as he felt his heart sting. "Well… w-why?"

"It fucks everything up. I mean, look at my mom; she was _such_ an amazing person, full of potential and where did she end up? Married to a bastard who broke her emotionally until she couldn't do anything, but sit at home… all because of _love_." She explained and cringed at the word _love_.

"Ok, so your mom is a bad example, but… well, what about my parents? They had a happy marriage."

"Sure, but with a bad ending." She retorted and put her guitar down on the bed.

"Well - - "

"Arnold, no offense, but… was your dad or was he _not_ heartbroken when your mom died? That sucks even worse than a rotten marriage or being left." Helga said and pointed at herself. "I'm not risking that. Love isn't worth it."

"Love _is_ worth it, Helga! You've had some bad examples, I'll admit, but you're only sixteen! Don't give up on love just yet."

"You're only sixteen too. What do you know about love?" Helga asked bolshily and crossed her arms, clearly waiting for an answer.

"I know…" he started, but then went quiet. He tried opening his mouth again, but nothing came out. Sheer panic spread inside him; there was no way he could tell her the answer he had in mind, not after what she had just told him. "I…"

Helga looked at Arnold suspiciously before the doorbell rang. "Mind getting that?" she asked and looked away, leaning her back against the wall. He looked at his stepsister for a while before walking out of the door.

His feet felt heavy on the floor as he slugged down the stairs. _It hurts… a lot_. He observed as his heart clenched and unclenched uncomfortably as if he couldn't breathe. _I knew nothing could truly happen between Helga and I, we're stepsiblings after all, but… to hear she has no faith in love whatsoever… That's just cruel… and sad_.

Arnold's body opened the door, but his eyes weren't looking at the person who had knocked. "This is where my daughter lives right?" a deep, male voice asked.

"Huh?" the blonde boy muttered and looked in front of him. He saw a broad chest and looked further up and noticed the torso belonged to a very angry-looking man. He was probably around Miles' and Miriam's age, but his hair was gray already. "Oh, uh, excuse me… Who are you?"

"My name is Bob Pataki, squirt. Now, where is my daughter?" he asked, his big arms crossed.

"Your daughter… You're Helga's dad?" Arnold asked, feeling the wheels in his head turning. _Oh, no. Helga's not going to like this._ He thought, but didn't get to say anything before Bob walked into the foyer. "Excuse me." Arnold said, but the man didn't listen.

"Helga! Miriam!" Bob called before he turned to look at Arnold. "Are they upstairs?"

"Well, Helga is, but Miriam's - - Wait. You can't just go up there." Arnold said as Bob walked up the stairs. Arnold quickly closed the door behind him before he followed him. "Helga!" he called, trying to warn her, but Bob was inside Arnold's room within few seconds. Arnold quickly walked past him to approach Helga who had just turned her head to look at her dad.

Her eyes were wide in shock. "Bob, what are you - - "

"Enough with this stupid game of yours, Helga. You're coming home with me." Bob interrupted and crossed his arms again, impatiently waiting for him to follow her.

Helga frowned and put her guitar away, stood up and copied her father's positon. "What _game_ and what are you talking about?"

"It'll be over my dead body before my own flesh and blood chooses a cheating slut over me."

Arnold flinched at Bob's vulgar and harsh words, but Helga didn't even bat an eye. _Is this how he always talks?!_ He wondered, but didn't say anything.

"You weren't complaining back when you two got divorced. Why the change of heart?" Helga asked matter-of-factly, already having a clear knowledge of the answer.

"Things were different back then."

"Yeah, you and Miriam were equally likely to wind up alone and miserable. Now that Miriam is engaged and has a family, you want to try and make her miserable again by taking me away from her. Well, I got news for you; I'm _not_ going to your place even if you pull me by my hair!" Helga said, her voice going louder with each sentence until it was a shout.

"You _will_ come home, Helga!"

"I _am_ home! I'm not going with you, Bob, and you can't make me. You and Miriam have agreed to have equal custody over me, so you've got no power."

"Oh, and what if I decide to press charges and get full custody over you?" Bob asked with a smirk.

For the first time since he had arrived, Helga seemed to pale. "You… wouldn't." she said with little conviction in her voice.

"Oh, I will. All I have to do is to tell the judges about Miriam's drinking and you will be mine." Bob said cockily. Helga cringed and looked at Arnold who was frowning in confusion. His expression was clearly wondering what that meant.

Helga sighed. "Miriam hasn't had a drink since Miles proposed." She told both Bob and Arnold, but then looked at her dad again. "It won't work. Miles will stand up for her, so will I and Arnold. You've got _no_ one to stand up for you. They won't let you have me."

Bob snarled and walked towards Helga who stepped to the side and walked backwards until she was standing next to Arnold near the door. "So you choose your cheating mom, her Crocodile Dundee wannabe fiancé and his orphan child over me?!" Bob asked angrily.

_Orphan_. That word didn't sting any less even after Miles had come home; Arnold had been called orphan by more than one person his whole life and it hurt so much even if it wasn't true anymore.

Helga growled before stepping towards Bob and getting right in his face. "Don't you _dare_… talk that way about my family." She warned. Her eyes were glowering with total fury and even Bob seemed nervous for a mere second.

He simply sneered though. "They are not your family, little lady. _I_ am!"

"Arnold and Miles have been more of a family to me than you and Olga ever have!" Helga screamed and stepped around him to push at his back. "Get out! Out of my house!" she shouted. Arnold quickly stepped to the side so Helga could push Bob out of the door.

She got him down to the first step at the stairs before he grabbed the railing and swung around to look at her. "Don't make the same mistake your mom did, Helga. Don't you _dare_ get on my bad side." He warned and Arnold noticed that his hand was holding so strongly onto the railing that the wood was shaking.

Helga smirked, completely unaware that she was facing a lion just waiting to be pushed over the edge. "The _mistake_ of leaving you is the best thing Miriam has ever done for herself…" she said. "_And me_."

Bob's face was red in anger at this point. When he let go of the railing, it sent the sound of a crack echoing in the hallway. Arnold watched as Bob lifted his arm and Helga seemed paralyzed at the sight as well. Just as Bob was about to swing his hand at Helga, Arnold grabbed his wrist. Only one of his hands wasn't big enough to go all the way around the thick arms, so he put his other hand up there to hold it in place. Helga inhaled sharply, seemingly sudden aware of what had been about to happen as she stared at Arnold half-wrestling with Bob who was glaring at the boy.

"I think it's time you leave before I call the police." Arnold said warningly. Bob snarled once more before whipping his arm out of Arnold's grab.

He turned to look at Helga who wasn't looking back. "This isn't the end, Helga." He said and she finally looked at him, her eyes glazed over as if they belonged to a porcelain doll. "I'll be back." he finished before he walked down the stairs. Arnold and Helga watched as he opened the door and slammed it so hard it almost made the house shake.

Arnold looked at Helga, unsure what kind of face he was expecting her to be wearing. It seemed natural though, or perhaps monotonous was more accurate.

She was just staring at the door as she spoke in a small voice. "He's done some nasty things, but… he's never tried to hit me before…"

Arnold sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he thought of what to say. "Helga…" he said quietly and opened his eyes, noticing she was gone. He looked to his left and saw she was heading towards her room. With three swift steps, he caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. "Helga, wait… Please don't walk away. I… I can't say I relate, not even a little bit… but I _am_ here for you if you need anything, even if it's nothing, even if _you_ think it's nothing. Just don't go and deal with this on your own - - "

Arnold never got to finish his sentence before Helga turned around and embraced him around his neck. He was frozen in place, his arms awkwardly standing out to the sides as if he was afraid of touching her. She was motionless at first, but then he felt her tighten and then untighten her grip around him. She started to shake a bit as if she was holding back her tears with all her might, but her body was fighting against her.

Arnold moved his hands up to touch Helga's back gently, but then he hugged her with all his might as if he was afraid she wouldn't be able to feel him if he didn't use all his strength. She didn't say a word, not even a sound; she was silent as the grave, but her body was far from motionless. He could feel her chest move against his as she silently sobbed and stilled every five seconds. He wanted to soothe her, to do something else than just standing there and hugging her. It didn't feel like enough at all, but he didn't know what to do.

Then Helga moved back a back until they could see each other's faces even though she wasn't looking at Arnold at all. She was looking at his throat, her shoulders twitching as she opened her mouth and breathed. The boy pecked her lips softly, hoping it reminded her that he cared. He didn't need words, he hoped that was the truth at least since he wasn't very eloquent. She seemed too dazed to notice so he pecked her lips again, this time for a little while longer than before.

The choked up blonde closed her eyes and pecked his lips as well. She pecked his lips once more before he heard her sob and she put her hands into his hair, kissing him with a sudden fervor he had no idea where was coming from. What she needed was his hug, but what she _wanted_ was his kiss. Before he knew it, she had him pushed against the wall and was kissing him as if her life depended on it. His hands clawed at her back, unconsciously pulling on her t-shirt without actually taking it off.

A vibration caught Arnold's attention and he stopped the kiss to both gasp and groan in the same sound. Helga laughed breathlessly. "Sorry." She said as she grabbed her phone, which was vibrating inside her pocket. "Hello?" she asked, forcing the pant in her voice away, but her eyes stayed on his. "Oh, Miriam. W-What's up?"

The way she was looking at him, the way she was biting her lip as if that helped her hold back was too much for the inexperienced Arnold. He started kissing her jaw again and traveled down until her reached her throat. She had her hand on his head, tightening and untightening her hold on his hair. Her grip got particularly hard when he licked her collarbone and she almost drew blood from biting her lower lip.

"Uh, sorry. Didn't catch that, Miriam." Helga said and pulled at Arnold's head until he was looking up at her. "One more time." She said with a smirk and the double meaning didn't take a genius to understand. He licked her collarbone again, moving from her throat and to her shoulder. Her body movements were ragged at this point and he couldn't believe he was the one doing this to her; that he was the one who was making her feel like this.

"Arnold's not answering his phone?" Helga repeated and Arnold looked up at her.

He searched his pockets from his phone, but it wasn't there. _I guess it's in my room_.

"I'm sure Arnold's just downstairs and didn't bring his phone with him. He's dense after all." She continued with a smirk. Arnold grimaced childishly before biting down on her shoulder. She jolted, but that was all she did besides shooting him a playful glance.

"Honey, your voice sounds a bit strange. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Miriam. You just called as I was in the middle of a work-out." Helga answered and winked at Arnold who had stopped kissing her at this point. He blushed at her comment and shook his head good-heartedly. "But if you really want me to, I can get back in the house and tell Arnold to answer his freaking phone."

"Yes please, honey. Miles just wanted his opinion on something and I want yours on something else. It's about the wedding, naturally."

"Ok, hold on, Miriam." Helga said and put her phone to her chest. She looked at Arnold exasperatedly. "Get your phone." She whispered as she pointed at his room. He sulked, but she simply kissed his mouth once more and pushed at him.

He walked towards his room, disappointed that they were interrupted, but perhaps also relieved. Who knew how far they had gotten if they hadn't been disturbed?

"Oh, Arnold." Helga said and he turned to look at her again. She smiled at him; a genuine, grateful smile. "Thank you."

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ok, here are the songs I made references to in this chapter in chronological order:**

"_**If you're happy and you know it" (I have no idea who should be credited as the artist for this xD)**_

_**Pharrell Williams – "Because I'm happy"**_

_**The Runaway State – "Live my life"**_


	9. Knowing when to shut up

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After Helga's original way of comforting Arnold, he had a good night's sleep and an even better morning when he was sent to wake Helga up and got to kiss her several times. Later that morning, Miles and Miriam left to further prepare the wedding plans, while their blonde children jammed. Helga told Arnold she refused to fall in love and had little to no faith in at all, something that both shocked and saddened Arnold to no end.**_

_**Bob decided to make a surprise visit and told Helga he wanted her to come home. She called his bluff though, knowing he only wanted to sadden Miriam by doing so. Bob almost hit Helga, but Arnold sent him out of the house before he could do so. What had started as a comforting hug soon turned into a comforting kiss, which only stopped when Miriam interrupted by calling Helga.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I don't know what to say; enjoy! x3**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 9: "Knowing when to shut up"<span>

It was as if Bob's visit had never happened. Once Arnold had picked up his phone in his room, barely listening to whatever it was his dad had asked him about, he had gone back to the hallway and noticed Helga was gone. Well, she hadn't disappeared into thin air, but she had gone into her room. He had knocked on her door and she said she was still on the phone, though she was now talking to Phoebe. He didn't see her again that day until Miriam and Miles came home for dinner.

Arnold didn't question that Helga hadn't come out of her room since Bob's visit; he figured she needed time to cool off and frankly, so did he. He was still so angry with this strange man, he hadn't even met before. The way he talked to his daughter about her mom was just pure cruelty; a kind of malevolence the modest boy hadn't known existed. He had expected Helga to tell Miriam about it so he waited patiently for her to do so at dinner, but she didn't say a word unless Miriam asked her something.

"This morning it was you, now it's your stepsister. What is going on with you two?" Miles asked worriedly. Arnold shrugged as he looked at Helga who still stared lifelessly at her plate. Arnold tried bumping his elbow against her and she finally looked at him. He tried giving her a look, he hoped showed what he wanted her to do, but she either ignored him or didn't understand.

"Honey, I'm worried. Isn't there something you want to talk about?" Miriam asked in concern.

When Helga still didn't' answer, Arnold decided he had to be the one to do it. "Miriam… earlier today, while you and dad were out - - Ow!" he exclaimed when he felt a heavy pressure on his foot. He pulled his foot away and looked at Helga in disbelief who was shooting him a warning look.

"What?" Miriam probed.

Helga smiled, but it didn't look sincere. "It's nothing big, Miriam. I'm sorry for worrying you." She said and went back to eating, the artificial smile still plastered on her face. Miriam made a low sigh and shrugged in Miles' direction as if saying there was nothing they could do. Helga was a persistent girl after all and once her mind was made up, it was impossible, if not close to change her mind.

By the end of dinner, Helga still hadn't said anything. She took her plate and put it dutifully out to the kitchen and in the dishwasher, but then left without a word.

"Arnold." Miles said and his son looked at him. "I don't want to pry in Helga's privacy nor yours, but you seem to know what's going on. Can you at least tell me if it's serious?"

Arnold opened his mouth to answer, but decided to think about his answer over first. _Serious? Is it? Helga seems to be bothered by it, so maybe she thinks Bob might actually try and take her away from us… but if she doesn't want them to know…_ He decided to smile at his dad. "It's not serious. Helga's just being, you know, independent." He insisted and took his own plate.

Miles nodded and smiled at Miriam who seemed relieved. They knew Arnold wouldn't lie to them so the felt better after talking to him. Arnold felt rotten though; he had indirectly lied to them. That being said, he wasn't in fact sure if it really was serious or not. Helga had said it herself; Bob wouldn't win custody over her. Maybe that was the truth and that was why she didn't bother telling them in order not to overtax them. Even so…

Arnold was worried so he went to knock on Helga's door. When she didn't answer, he assumed she didn't want to talk to him so he went to his own room. He had barely closed his door before he heard a female voice to his right.

"You were talking about me, weren't you?" Helga asked and Arnold jolted in surprise.

"Helga!" he said and sighed. "W-What are you doing here?"

"What? Now I can't be in your room?" Helga asked, almost coarsely, but there was a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"N-No, that's not what I meant." Arnold insisted and sighed as he started walking towards her. He wanted to ask her about dinner, but heard himself asking her something completely different. "Now that you're here, what do you want to do?" he asked just before he felt his foot slip on the circular carpet, which was next to the bed. With a gasp, he fell over Helga who grabbed him by instinct. He landed on top of her, shocked, but safe. He stared at her for a bit and she did the same, both of them calming down from the shock.

Then Helga smirked playfully at him before she wrapped her legs around his hips. "Seems pretty obvious what _you_ want to do." She teased and started grinding him against her. He gasped and groaned at the sudden pleasure his crotch was met with, but he struggled against her.

"H-Helga, please…" he begged; he needed to ask her about her dad, about why she hadn't told her mom about him and just _everything_, but lust was already clouding his mind. The haze from the cloud disappeared though when the blonde girl stopped her movement. He looked at her, eyes half-lidded and almost surprised.

She smiled innocently at him. "Did I misunderstand what you were pleading for?" she asked. Arnold scowled at her before pulling away and sitting down next to her feet. She sat up, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're nuts, you know that?" Arnold asked defensively, urging his blush to disappear.

"Of course I do, but I also know I'll never end up in a nuthouse. The doctors would be scared I had a bad influence on the other patients." She joked. Arnold wasn't in the mood for jokes though; he really needed to know why she was keeping quiet about her dad's visit. She could clearly see what he was thinking about due to his intense stare and she sighed. "Go ahead and ask; I know you want to."

"… Why didn't you tell Miriam about Bob?"

Helga sighed and plumbed back down on the bed. "Miriam's getting married soon; she's stressed as it is."

Arnold blinked in surprise. "She seems fine though?"

"In front of you guys, sure, but I know my mom. She's stressed about everything and she's scared even if she is happy. I don't want to add to her stress, especially not since Bob is full of empty words. Don't worry, Arnold. He seems scary and he's got connections, but he isn't that powerful. His threat is empty; he's got nothing on Miriam." Helga explained with a comforting smile.

Arnold believed her; or at least he wanted to. Her explanation reminded him of something else though and he bit on his lip before he asked her about it. "What was that… about Miriam's drinking?"

Helga sighed again. "I thought you'd forgotten…" she admitted and sat up again. "Well… Miriam's been a heavy drinker ever since… well, since I was born, I think."

Arnold's eyes widened. "You're kidding… I haven't seen her… I haven't seen her with anything questionable in her hands." He said.

"No one ever does because she hides her alcohol in a smoothie. That's why I refused to let her buy that blender when we were all out shopping last week."

Arnold didn't have to think too hard before he remembered what Helga was talking about. He had noticed Helga acting odd around Miriam that day and especially when she had talked about buying a blender. Helga had refused, basically, and Arnold had even considered telling her it should be fine; it was just a blender after all, right? But he had thought against it when she finally talked Miriam out of it. He had forgotten about it later that day so he never got around to ask her.

"Anyways…" Helga continued. "Miriam told me before we all moved in together that she haven't had a _smoothie_ since Miles proposed…"

"And you don't believe her?"

Helga shrugged. "Who the hell knows? Miriam has never been good at hiding her drinking, at least not in front of me, but I haven't found any alcohol in the house and I've looked three times by now." She confessed and relaxed her chin on her knees.

Arnold smiled. "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"I'm worried about her fucking her own life up again, yeah. I mean, I don't blame her for starting to drink when she got married to Bob. With the way he treated her, it was either that or…" Helga said and gestured as if she had a gun and pulled the trigger in her mouth.

It caused Arnold to flinch. _What a horrible image._ He thought.

"But Miles is nothing like Bob so she doesn't have an excuse this time. I just hope she can avoid the temptation."

Arnold smiled. "So you _do_ want her to get married to my dad after all?" he asked smugly.

Helga moved until she had her legs behind him and her face was right next to his. "Who says I don't just want to stay here?" she asked with a smirk.

Arnold blushed at her comment and looked away, hoping he wasn't smiling as broadly as he wanted to. He could hear her snicker next to his ear and it sent a shiver down his spine. Her hand traveled up his back and fingers curled in his hair. He closed his eyes, fully enjoying the sensation that was her hands gently massaging his scalp.

"Hmm, you like that?" Helga asked in awe. He simply hummed in response. "Are you going to purr or something?" she joked. He considered shaking his head, but ended up answering her verbally so he wouldn't have to disturb her touches. He knew if he was in fact a cat though, he probably would be purring right about now.

Helga's ghostly touch traveled to his shoulder and he felt a perfectly aimed blow of breath on his neck. Compared to their small kisses and the passionate ones they had shared before, this was intimate on a different level. All he could feel was her touch, her breath, her lips, which were now upon his jaw, nibbling on the taut skin there.

A tongue, which Arnold could recognize by its feel and the way it languidly moved on his skin, licked him behind his ear. Teeth bit on his lope, a tongue whisked the sting away, lips caressed his temple and cheek and the corner of his mouth. All he wanted to do as turn his head to meet her mouth, but it left his skin before he could.

"Boy, I have you wrapped around my little finger, don't I…?" the blonde girl questioned in a low voice.

Arnold opened his eyes and looked at her; she had an almost monotonous look on her face, but there was a hint of fear in her eyes; she almost seemed afraid of what she had just said, of how much power she truly wielded over him. Her hand went to his cheek, her eyes continuously traveling between his eyes and his lips. She kissed him for a second, almost experimentally.

Then she huffed. "Crap." She cursed in a low voice and her eyes finally settled on his. "This is really bad." She announced before kissing him full-heartedly.

He wanted to ask her what was bad, but he knew what _he_ thought was bad; this whole thing. His feelings, her lack thereof, their soon-to-come siblinghood and their total disregard of that by engaging a physical relationship. This whole thing was wrong and bad, but Arnold couldn't resist holding her in his arms and pretending, if just for a moment, that she was his.

Arnold wasn't sure if it was him who had pushed Helga down or if she had pulled him, but they landed on his bed with him on top of her. Her hands roamed on his waist, her fingers tickling his skin whenever they went under his t-shirt. One of his arms went under her lower back, hoisting her up against him while both of his hands caressed the side on his stomach, which was almost bare due to her blouse crawling up. He felt one of her legs wrapping around his hips and she pulled him against her, the same way she had done earlier, while she bucked against him. He was starting to shake at this point; he'd never thought he could feel something this intense.

But just like that, the intensity disappeared in a flash when a voice, coming from what felt like the outside world, spoke and pulled Arnold out of his clouded state. "Arnold, is Helga with you? She's not answering from her room." Miriam's voice asked.

Arnold pulled away from Helga and the girl sighed. "Yeah, I'm here, Miriam. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to talk with you, honey, but if you and Arnold are having fun, I don't want to disturb you."

"Too late." Helga muttered under her breath, shooting Arnold a teasing glance as she did so. "Ok then, Miriam. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Sure. Have fun." Miriam answered and footsteps echoed outside the door.

"Oh, I intend to." Helga said in a smirk as she pulled Arnold down for another kiss.

Once she had though, he pulled away with a sigh and lied down next to her. "Maybe the universe is trying to tell us something…" he muttered with a bit of a pout. He hated to admit it, but he knew they shouldn't do any more than kissing; they shouldn't even be kissing to begin with… but for now they hadn't reached the point of no return; he could still do the right thing and stop this before they went too far.

"Lucky for you," Helga said before sitting up and straddling Arnold on his lap, which caused him to groan at the pleasurable pressure she triggered. "I don't care what the universe has to say." She concluded before leaning down and kissing him again. He moaned into her mouth and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Who was he kidding? He couldn't stop this even if the goody-two-shoes inside of him was screaming that he should.

Something else stopped them though and Helga shot a hateful glare at her phone, which she had placed on Arnold's nightstand. "0-1 to the universe." She said and reached for her phone. Arnold groaned as he watched her put her phone to her ear, still sitting on his lap as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Hello? Who's there?"

Helga smirked at Arnold when she noticed his somehow disbelieving stare before she grinded against him, eliciting a moan from him. He put his hands to his mouth to keep the voice down, the scenario of the person on the other side of the phone hearing him running through his mind and it wasn't a scenario he wished to make real.

Helga stopped her moving though and her blue eyes seemed to drop a shade. "How did you get my number?" she asked in a voice close to harsh tone, but not just yet. Arnold stared at her, but she wasn't looking back at all. He saw how she started to breathe slower, but also harder. "I can't believe this. Are you stalking me or something now?" she asked and growled. "You're so fucking pathetic! Why do you care so fucking much now anyway?! You sure as hell didn't care before!"

Arnold flinched at Helga's words and the way her eyes seemed to be burning inside the sockets. She was seething, that much was obvious to anyone, but what for? He sat up, holding onto her hip so she didn't move away. She wasn't going to; on the contrary she put her hand on his shoulder as if she needed some support from him, something to keep her from going overboard. He moved towards the phone and when she didn't move away, he took it as a signal that it was ok to listen. He didn't recognize the voice so it wasn't Bob as he had first assumed. The young man told Helga he was going to pick her up from school tomorrow, but that was all Arnold heard.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Helga shouted before the unmistakable beep of the call stopping echoed in her phone a couple of times. He had just hung up on her and she looked at the phone in disbelief. "Asshole." She hissed before banging the phone down on the bed and looking away as she nibbled on her lower lip in deep thought.

"Who… was that?" Arnold questioned gently. When she didn't seem to react, he put his hand on her cheek and she finally looked at him.

She sighed. "My ex… or something like that. No, _ex_ suggests we dated and we didn't so not my ex."

"If you didn't date, what did you do?" Arnold asked. Helga shot him a bit of a look and he inhaled sharply. "Oh…"

"No, you're misunderstanding my glare." Helga said and sighed once more. "Look, Arnold… through this summer vacation, you could say I took a toll for the worse. I hated my class, the whole fucking school actually and I had reached the point where I just didn't care anymore. This guy saw that and decided to take advantage of my devil-may-care attitude. He took me to a couple of parties and laid the groundwork so to speak. I got really smashed at one of the parties and he got a little handsy. When he didn't stop even when I told him to, I punched him in front of everyone at the party, which included some from our school. This guy is the star football player and all that and I was just the rebel with a rotten attitude. After the incident, the story spread like wildfire and I was deemed the crazy bitch who couldn't appreciate and be grateful that a real man wanted me."

Arnold was in shock and his face was contorted in anger. "I can't believe him! What a - - "

"Pig?"

"Yeah!"

"Bastard?"

"Yeah!"

"The pinnacle of chauvinistic perverts?"

"I… would never have thought of that one, but yeah!" Arnold confirmed with a livid face.

Helga couldn't help but chuckle at his sour expression though and kissed him gently. "I like that you're so mad on my behalf." She said with a smile and leaned back again.

Arnold smiled, but it disappeared quickly. "Didn't he… say that he was going to pick you up tomorrow?"

"He did."

"I don't get it… If you punched him, wouldn't that be a clear signal you're not interested?"

"Well, you know how men are. They think _no_ means _yes_ and _get lost_ means: _Take me, I'm yours_." Helga explained before nuzzling her nose against Arnold's. He blushed a bit and chuckled at the ticklish feeling. "Don't worry. I'll punch him again if I have to." She said before crawling off him and stood up on the floor. "I think I'll head to bed. I'm beyond tired. Wanna join me in the bathroom while I brush my teeth?"

Arnold didn't answer, but simply followed her. This day had been rather eventful, all things considered, so he was quite tired as well.

Once they were in the bathroom, they each grabbed their own toothbrush; Helga eyed Arnold's though. "Tell me, why do you have that kind of toothbrush anyway?" she asked, pointing at the old-fashioned plastic he had in his hand.

He looked it over and shrugged. "What's wrong with it?"

"It belongs at a museum. Why don't you have an electric one?" Helga asked, waving her own toothbrush for effect.

He frowned. "I don't really like the sound. It sounds like a drill inside your mouth… but I know that I should since they remove more bacteria… Aren't they a little expensive though?" he asked.

"Oh, for crying out loud." Helga said before opening the mirror cabinet and grabbed what looked like a toothbrush head and showed it to him. "See. This one is blue." She told him before switching the heads on her toothbrush around so that it now had the blue on rather than the pink one on. "Now you can use this one too; all free."

Arnold stared at the electric, now blue, toothbrush as he took it. "Thank you…" he said in surprise. "Why do you care so much though?"

Helga leaned closer to him and he almost leaned back instinctively. "Let's just say I've got a good reason to care about your mouth hygiene." She teased and kissed his mouth for effect.

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><p>To say that Arnold was a little nervous when it became Monday would be a gross understatement. It wasn't like that day had been a walk on roses. After Rhonda's party, the rumors about Lila and Arnold had spread through the class and eventually the entire school, even though he didn't understand why anyone else would care. He could now relate to Helga since he was now the bad guy in the scenario with Lila. He wasn't sure if she had said anything or not, but people clearly took her side.<p>

It wasn't until lunch period though that Arnold had been asked about the slap Helga had given Lila. He had never heard of that and when he asked Helga about, she simply shrugged. He was shocked; how could he not have seen that she had slapped Lila? He was happy she was so angry for him, but couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't made things worse in the long run. Needless say, Arnold and Helga weren't very popular people by the end of the day.

"Dude, this whole thing is messed up!" Gerald said when the bell rang and it was time to go home. "Why don't you tell people what is going on; that Lila forced herself on you?"

"Who'd believe me, Gerald?" Arnold questioned and looked towards Helga who was packing her stuff slowly. She wasn't in any hurry at all, which was unusual. "Besides, stories like these lose people's interest quickly."

"Yeah, _other_ people, but our classmates who have known you and Lila since we were kids aren't going to forget so easily." Gerald said and looked at Helga. "Also, aren't you unpopular enough?"

"I'd panic if I wasn't unpopular with my peers." The abrasive blonde retorted and swung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm more worried about Arnold; he's not used to this kind of treatment. How are you holding up?"

Arnold smiled at her concern. "I'm fine. This whole thing will die down soon enough." He insisted and swung his own bag over his shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Helga snorted. "As ready as I'll ever be." She answered and walked with him out of the classroom. As both blondes had figured, people were shooting glances their way and some were even whispering to each other. Helga turned and directed a deathly glare in two girls' way who quickly scurried off.

"I think you're making it worse." Arnold observed.

"I thought you said it would all die down soon?"

"Not if you keep fueling the fire."

Helga smiled at Arnold's comment and opened the door for him. They walked out to the school yard and Helga halted when she saw a group of girls all circled around something.

"Oh, brother. Spare me…" she muttered and bopped her head towards the girls.

Arnold looked in the same direction and scrunched his face as if that would make his vision clearer. "Is that…?"

"Yup, that's the pinnacle of chauvinistic perverts." She answered and tightened her hold on her bag. "Maybe he'll be so busy with the girls we can sneak by him."

Arnold followed Helga as she walked swiftly, but silently. He kept looking in the boy's direction and finally saw what he looked like. The guy was tall, taller than Helga even, and had blonde hair, which was cut in a high fade fashion. His right eyebrow was pierced and he was wearing what looked like something taken out of the Grease movie; white t-shirt and leather jacket and pants. He was also wearing shades as he sat on a huge motorcycle whose engine was roaring since he was showing it off to the girls.

Just as Helga and Arnold reached the group of girls, a male voice yelled. "Helga, baby!" he said before he started his motorcycle and drove in front of them, stopping them from walking any further.

Helga groaned. "I thought I told you not to come here, Wolfgang." She said as he stopped the engine.

They heard the girls shriek behind them. "No way! Helga's the girl you were waiting for?" Rhonda's unmistakable voice asked. "What would you want with her?"

Helga rolled her eyes as she watched Wolfgang getting off his motorcycle and approaching her. "Oh, there's many things I'd love to do to her." he said before using his index finger and thumb to lift her chin so she was looking at him. "Missed me?"

"Like a hole in the head." Helga retorted and slapped Wolfgang's hand away. "I told you not to come here."

"Babe, I know you didn't mean that. You were just shocked I got ahold of your number."

"Yeah, I'm still considering calling the cops on your ass for that one. But what the hell do you mean _I_ didn't mean that? Was the punch I gave you back then too subtle?" she asked and poked his chin. "I think I can still see the bruise."

Wolfgang snarled, but then smirked and grabbed Helga's hand. "I'll let you hit me as much as you want if you let me do what I want with you." He said and licked the tip of her index finger. She whipped her hand away, but he grabbed it again and started to drag her towards the motorcycle.

Arnold was about to interfere, but watched as Helga stood strong on one foot while the other went to kick Wolfgang at the back of his knee. With a gasp, he was sent flying towards his motorcycle, which saved him from falling any further.

"Let's go." Helga told Arnold and he followed her obediently. The blondes heard Rhonda scream behind them about how Helga really was a violent cow, but they ignored her. The blondes were practically jogging, but the sound of a motorcycle still caught their ears and soon, Wolfgang had stopped in front of Helga. "Do I have to punch you into a pulp before you get the message?!"

"I just want to offer you a ride home, Helga." Wolfgang said almost harmlessly, but Helga clearly wasn't falling for it.

"Forget it, creep. I'm walking home with Arnold."

Wolfgang looked at Arnold, showing he clearly hadn't noticed him until now. He laughed. "This pipsqueak? What do you want with him?"

"He's my stepbrother, and don't you call him - - "

"Oh, so he's not exactly a rival, is he? Not that he could compete with me anyway." Wolfgang said with a sneer. "He can't protect you if someone bad tries to hurt you."

Arnold frowned at the comment; it hurt because he knew it was true. As Helga's stepbrother, he first of all didn't have a fair chance. Secondly… he was right in the part about protecting her. Scoundrels would just have to take one look at Wolfgang and they'd run away as if their lives depended on it; he looked scary.

Helga snorted though. "Someone bad; you sure you're not talking about yourself?" she asked, earning a sneer from Wolfgang. "Besides, shouldn't you of all people know I can take care of myself? That bruise should be a visual reminder."

Wolfgang leaned over his motorcycle, smirking at Helga. "It also reminds me you're the only girl who's ever hit me. I liked that you're feisty." He said and leaned back. "Come on, give me another chance, babe. I'll treat you right this time."

Helga snorted again, this time in pure disbelief. "Please, you don't even know what to treat someone right means."

"Then teach me." Wolfgang said smugly. Helga looked at him for a bit before she walked past him. "Oh, come on, baby!"

"What is it with men and not accepting the word 'no'? No means no!" Helga said and gestured for Arnold to follow her, which he did.

"It's a good thing you've got a lapdog who follows your every word then." Wolfgang stated viciously.

Helga halted, turned to look at Wolfgang and put her hand atop of Arnold's head. "_This_ is treating someone right."

"What? Following your every order?"

"No, knowing when to _shut up_ and do what your partner wants from you." Helga said and let her hand fall from Arnold's head. She turned around and started walking again, knowing full well Arnold was still behind her, keeping quiet like he knew he should.

"So you'd rather choose your wimpy _stepbrother_ over me?" Wolfgang asked.

Helga didn't stop this time, but looked at him over her shoulder. "Let me put it this way; he's closer to getting in my pants than you _ever_ will be!"

"Crazy bitch; that's incest!" Wolfgang shouted in disgust. Helga just rolled her eyes and thanked the heavens that Wolfgang had stopped following them now. She had a feeling he had given up, but she wasn't quite sure yet.

She looked at Arnold whom she noticed was looking back at her. "What are you thinking exactly?" she asked. Arnold looked down, considering his answer; he wasn't at all sure. In a strange way, he was happy about the things Helga had said. He knew he appreciated him, the same way he appreciated her, but he had never thought she would say any of those things. He was still worried about Wolfgang though and what Helga's last comment might have meant and if that would come back to bite them both.

For now though, he was just happy. "I hope this is the last we see of him." He said. "Well, him _and_ Bob."

Helga smirked and put her arm over his shoulders. "Me too, Football Head."

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Yes! I quoted Megara from "Hercules" in this chapter xD I've made a scene with Arnold and Helga while using that particular audio on my YouTube channel and someone suggested using it in a fanfiction at some point and I said I might shove it in here so now I did! Cx**


	10. A voice so loud

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** Even though Miles and Miriam asked Helga what was wrong, the blonde girl still refused to tell them that Bob had come to visit and had threatened to take her away from them. She insisted she didn't take him seriously though when Arnold voiced his concerns.**_

_**Later that evening, a boy from Helga's past called her and told her he would be picking her up from school the next day. She told Arnold that this guy had tried hitting on her and when she had punched him, she had gotten more than a little unpopular with the rest of the school due to his status.**_

_**True to his words, Wolfgang did indeed try to give Helga a ride home, but she continuously told him no. On their way home, both blondes hoped that would be the last they'd see of both Wolfgang and Bob.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I am so, so sorry this one took so long! I blame school! I'm so tired now that I've started again Dx Anyways! Look forward to reading this chapter ~ We have some development coming up! xD It's a little sad at first, but then it gets happy, I promise! Cx**

**And super many thanks to 106Eli who has **_**once again**_** made an amazing cover for this story! :D**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 10: "A voice so loud"<span>

Bob hadn't showed his face since Sunday nor had Wolfgang showed up at their school. It almost seemed too good to be true, but the blondes didn't feel quite safe yet. They refused to put a welcome mat for the devil before he even showed up though, so they continued their days like nothing had happened.

Autumn had also truly come to Hillwood and it was now so cold that Helga had finally caved in and started wearing the pink, knitted scarf Olga had made her just before their parents got divorced. She hated the scarf with a burning passion though and after being forced to wear it for one day, she had gone and bought one herself, throwing Olga's one out later. It was perhaps a childish action, but no one dared scolding her for it.

Helga was in fact playing with her new scarf during recess when she overheard Arnold talking with the boys in their class. Most, but not all of them had seen his new house, but they were planning to change that.

"Oh, come on, Arnold. A slumber party would be awesome! Just like when we were children." Sid bellowed.

"I don't know, Sid. It's kinda short notice. I need to ask my parents first too and - - "

"Then do it." Harold said as he pushed at Arnold's shoulder. "Like Sid says, this could be fun. Nothing but video games and pizza through the whole night!"

"I don't know…" Arnold said unsurely and looked at Helga over his shoulder. "What do you think, Helga?"

The blonde looked at her stepbrother in surprise. "What are you asking _me_ for?"

Arnold wasn't sure; perhaps he truly was following her like a lost puppy? "You… live there. I figured I should ask for your permission too." He decided. If he had been honest though, he would have added that he wanted her to join them. It was supposed to be a boys' night, but it was hard imagining spending even an hour away from her; she was around him 24/7 after all.

"Be my guest." Helga declared and started playing with her scarf again, clearly lacking interest in the subject. Arnold was almost disappointed; it wasn't like he didn't want to hang out with his friends, frankly he could use something to take his minds off his horrible situation with his stepsister, but the thought of having Helga in the same house, but in a different room, sounded so foreign.

Basically, what happened through the rest of the recess, was that the boys invited themselves to Arnold's house this night and they all promised to bring snacks, games and drinks with them. Miriam and Miles even insisted on sleeping at Sunset Arms so the teenagers could have the house to themselves. Arnold had a feeling they just didn't want to listen to them all night though and he couldn't blame them.

When the blonde stepsiblings got home, the male one started preparing for the guests; he made a space in the living where they all could play video games. The living room was bigger than his room after all. He made a bit of a pillow fort in front of the TV to make it cozier.

When he was finished, Helga walked down the stairs. "Whoa. Place looks ready for some serious male bonding." She teased and continued towards the kitchen.

Arnold took one last look at his work before following her. "Hey, Helga?" he said and watched as she opened the refrigerator.

"Yup?" she inquired before grabbing a Yahoo soda. "Mind if I steal this?"

"No, no. Go ahead. I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to join us."

Helga opened the can and the familiar sizzle of carbonic acid rose from inside the can. "_Me_?" she questioned and took a sip. "I thought it was a boys' night?"

"Well, you are kinda one of the boys."

Helga quirked an eyebrow at his comment before she approached him and gave him a sudden and deep kiss. He inhaled sharply through his nose; it had been a while since they had kissed and it came out of nowhere. He barely got to respond before her lips were gone.

"That makes you kinda gay, doesn't it?" she joked.

At first, he had no idea what the blonde was referring to, but when he remembered, he rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant."

She hummed. "Well, I don't exactly have any plans, but I don't think your homeboys would be very keen on letting me join you."

"Why not? They like you."

"Not since I slapped Mary Sunshine, they don't."

"Mary…? Oh, _Lila_. Well… I'm sure they're over that."

"Doubt it. Stinky was so furious, I almost thought he'd eat my brain like a lemon pudding."

"Stinky likes Lila, that doesn't count."

"The other boys aren't fond of me either."

"Gerald still likes you."

"He's obligated to; I'm his best friend's stepsister!"

"_No_, it's because he knows the full story."

Helga blinked. "Oh, yeah! Pray tell, how come he is in fact the _only one_ who knows the full story? I mean, I don't give two shits what they think of me, but don't you want people to take your side in this?"

Arnold shrugged. "Once the boys have an idea in their heads, they usually stick to it."

"They wouldn't believe you?"

"I've liked Lila for such a long time that her kissing me should be something I would have liked; there's no way they'd believe she had to force herself on me."

"They're your friends; shouldn't they listen to what you're saying _now_ rather than what you said before?"

Arnold didn't have a retort to that since it was the truth. They should believe him and perhaps some of them would if he gave them the chance, but experiences from the past made him doubtful. Sid was for example a very distrustful person. Arnold thought he wouldn't believe him by a long shot. After the money incident in fourth grade, he had a hard time trusting Sid himself. Sid had basically turned every fourth grader against him that day all because of a misunderstanding. It wasn't something even a kind and naïve boy like Arnold could forget so easily.

"Yoo-hoo?" Helga said as she waved her hand in front of Arnold's face.

The boy shook his head, slowly coming back from his reverie. "Oh, uh. Sorry… Anyways, I'll try to tell them I guess, but I just don't think it's going to help…" he admitted. _I think they are angrier with Helga too than they are with me… which is exactly why I should've corrected this misunderstand right away. Everyone else but our class has forgotten already; why can't they?_

"Whoa, that's a quick change of heart. What caused that?"

"You did." Arnold replied nonchalantly without thinking about his answer beforehand. When he realized though and looked at Helga to observe her reaction, he hadn't expected the very distinct blush on her cheeks. It made him blush as well because the sight was just so cute and so unexpected at the same time.

Before Arnold knew what he was doing, he had grabbed his stepsister's cheeks and was kissing her. He couldn't resist her; she looked _so_ kissable right then with reddened cheeks and eyes wide in wonder. This time, it was she who gasped in slight surprise. Her grip on her soda tightened so she wouldn't drop it out of shock, but she quickly decided to put it down on the kitchen desk instead. Once she had, her hands went into his hair and she kissed him with so much fervor that it left him breathless.

Once more Arnold wasn't sure who had made the motion, but Helga was suddenly sitting on the counter, her head now higher than Arnold's than usual, but not by much. Her fingers caressed his cheeks and his neck as her tongue stroked his lips. Everything about her was just intoxicating and he wanted to taste more of her. Since she was at the perfect height, he decided to try and kiss her collarbone as he had done once before. She kissed the top of his head encouragingly and let go of his face so he would have room without feeling pressure.

Helga was wearing one of her more casual tank tops as she usually did when she just at home, which made this a lot easier than if she had been wearing one of her many hoodies. He made a trail of his tongue print from her throat and ended the path with a kiss on her chin. She made a quivering moan and it was still such a foreign sound that he had to strain his ears to make sure he had actually heard it. The lower he kissed, the heavier her breath became and the braver her got. He was at the edge of her tank top when they heard the doorbell ring.

Arnold froze. "You've gotta be kidding me…" he whispered.

Helga groaned as she let her head fall back. "Criminy, this is going to be a running joke, isn't it?"

"It's not funny…" Arnold muttered with a pout and leaned back.

Helga cooed sympathetically and kissed him once before jumping off the counter. "_You_ invited them."

"The hell I did; they invited themselves!"

"Arnold, you're starting to sound like me."

"What do you mean?"

"You just said _hell_. I think that's the first time I ever heard you curse." Helga said in proud awe. Arnold's hand went to his mouth in shock. Not only was he in love with his stepsister, now he was talking like her too? He hoped no one would notice if he made another slip-up like that. "Go and let them in, Football Head."

Helga started pushing gently at Arnold's back and she followed him into the living room, but went to sit on the pillow fort before they reached the doorway. He smirked at the way she had jumped into the pillows as if it was a bouncy castle. She stuck her tongue out at him, well aware he found her childish action amusing. He chuckled before heading towards the door and opened it.

"Hi, buddy." Gerald greeted before walking inside. Arnold looked behind him for a moment, but he was the only one there. "I noticed Stinky, Sid and Harold in the convenience store a second ago. They should be here soon."

Arnold nodded and looked at Gerald nervously. "I think I'm gonna try to tell them what happened at Rhonda's party."

Gerald blinked in surprise. "Finally growing some backbone, huh? Is that thanks to that stepsister of yours?"

"I'm afraid so!" Helga yelled from the living room. "He said _hell_ earlier too!"

Gerald quirked an eyebrow in Arnold's direction who simply shrugged innocently. The boys went into the living room and Gerald laughed at the sight of the pillow fort. "Nice." He observed and noticed Helga amongst the pillows. "What's she doing here though?"

"What? You have something against me being in my own house?"

"No, but you're clearly joining us, aren't you? _I_ don't mind; I still think you're cool, but the boys might not agree with me."

"Which is also why I'm going to tell them what happened." Arnold interfered. He caught Helga's eyes and smiled back at her.

Gerald looked between them for a moment, but then shook his head. "I'll try and help you, dude, but it might be harder than you think. Helga's basically the evil witch in their eyes now. No offense."

"None taken since I'm guessing that makes Lila the useless princess in that scenario."

Gerald rolled his eyes at Helga's comment. "Except for the obvious nastiness behind your words, that looking at the bright side attitude might be something you have picked up from Arnold."

Helga snickered, but did nothing else. Arnold almost went shy; he hadn't thought he would have rubbed off on Helga too, but he was glad he did. It meant she liked him if even just a little bit.

"Anyways," Gerald interfered. "how are you planning to go about this?"

"Well, I - - " Arnold started, but was interrupted by the doorbell. "I don't have a plan, Gerald. I'm just going to tell them and trust them to believe me." He answered as he walked out of the room.

"This isn't going to go as well as you two think." Gerald said before sitting next to Helga, though he sat on the couch behind her.

"Arnold doesn't think this is going to be easy at all." She answered and looked at him. "Care to tell me why such a naïve and trustful guy has so little belief in his friends? What's wrong with them?"

Gerald scowled at her; he liked Helga, but sometimes he didn't like her I-know-better attitude. "It's not that he can't trust them, but boys are stubborn."

"So are girls, that's no excuse. If they were real friends, they'd trust him."

"Hey, _I_ trust him!"

"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about the others! Sheesh, why are you getting so defensive?" Helga asked with her eyebrows knitted together. Gerald didn't know how to answer that; he just _did_. Maybe he was embarrassed on the boys' behalf or maybe he didn't really trust them either? He wasn't sure and he didn't get much time to think about it.

"Are you ready to have some fun!" Sid's voice bellowed before he appeared in the living room. He noticed Gerald and Helga sitting amongst the pillows and looked at her. He frowned. "What's _she_ doing here?"

"She lives here." Arnold retorted, already growing slightly angry with Sid's attitude.

"But she doesn't live in this _room_. I can't believe you're still talking to her after what she did to Lila; why aren't you angry with her?"

"Because - - "

"I'd think you of all people would take Lila's side on this." Stinky said as he crossed his arms, scowling in Helga's direction.

"Yes, but - - "

"Don't _but_ us! She slapped Lila! Who slaps a girl like that?" Harold interfered.

"Would you shut up!" Arnold yelled, which finally caused them all to be quiet, mostly out of shock. He went towards Helga and pointed at her. "The only reason she slapped Lila was because Lila _forced herself_ on me."

The boys stared at him for what felt like a long time before they started laughing. "Oh, that's rich!" Sid said and the others agreed. "As if Lila would force herself on anyone!"

"Well, she did." Arnold insisted and crossed his arms.

"_What_?" Harold questioned, still laughing. "And why did you mind? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I stopped liking Lila at the beginning of fall so _no_."

The boys went quiet and looked at each other questioningly. "Wait…" Stinky said and started scratching his head. "I'm confused."

"Yeah, me too!" Harold said in a loud voice. "If you don't like Lila anymore, why did she kiss you?"

"She claimed she had made up her mind, but so had I. I thought I had already made that clear to her when I chose Helga over her, but - - "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – _wait_." Gerald interjected. "_Chose_ Helga over Lila?"

Arnold blushed. "N-Not like that!" he lied. "When Lila came over here to hang out, I told her to leave. Helga helped me realize I'm not getting anywhere with Lila so I've given up and she… didn't take it too well."

Stinky kept scratching his head in confusion while Harold and Sid crossed their arms. Harold seemed to think it through while Sid seemed suspicious. "I don't get it." He said. "You've liked Lila for _so_ long. What happened?"

Arnold couldn't tell the truth; not the whole truth at least, but he looked at Helga anyway. "She knocked some sense into me." He said and looked back at the boys. "Lila's been stringing me along all this time. Stinky, did you know that I called Lila when you were at the Kiska with her?"

"What?" Stinky said in surprise. "I… I didn't know."

"I didn't want you to either, but I think she might be stringing you along too so I thought I should tell you. I don't want her to hurt you too." Arnold said sensibly and Stinky went quiet, looking away as he did so.

The whole room was in general quiet until Helga stood up. "Well, I can see I'm still not welcome here. Thanks for trying, bro." she said, patted Arnold's shoulder once and headed towards the doorframe.

"Hold on." Sid said reluctantly and she stopped to look at him. They stared each other down for a moment. "Was that really the only reason you slapped her?"

"Well, that and I don't like her, but that's also because of the way she treated Arnold."

The boys went quiet at that. They were clearly having an internal battle. On one side was a girl they've known for years; a girl they had consider sweeter than sugar whom they were now questioning was as kind as they had thought. On the other side was a girl they had known for a few months, a cool girl who was definitely lacking in moral for having slapped formerly mentioned girl. Helga and Arnold, a boy they knew wouldn't hurt a fly, were claiming one thing while Lila had said nothing at all. The boys were thinking hard.

"Look," Arnold said. "I'm not saying I agree with Helga when she slapped Lila." Helga stuck her tongue out at him at the comment, but he ignored it. "But Helga really isn't a bad person. I'm not saying Lila is, but… let's just say I've seen a side of her I don't like."

The boys visibly relaxed. "So," Harold started and looked at Helga. "Lila was jerking Arnold around and that's why you slapped her?" he asked. The blonde girl shrugged casually, but then nodded.

The boys were quiet for a while, but then started laughing hysterically. Helga, Arnold and Gerald all stared at the three friends in disbelief, unsure how to react to the sudden change in mood.

"Boy howdy, Arnold! What a change of the girl in your life!" Stinky bellowed, his shoulder shaking with laughter.

"Yeah, from sweet to violent!" Sid added.

"Ch-Change of girl? What exactly do you think is going on between Helga and me?" Arnold asked in fear.

"N-Nothing." Harold answered as they continued laughing. "I-It's just… you used to like Lila so much and in no time at all Helga has changed your mind."

"No time at all? That's not how it felt." Helga interfered, which caused the boys to laugh even louder. "I had to leave my own fucking house before I convinced him."

"Ok, that's enough." Arnold begged with reddened cheeks, but Helga just joined the laughter and Gerald did as well. The blonde boy huffed in embarrassment before his eyes locked with a pair of blue ones and he smiled. _This is really bad_. He thought despite his happy face. _I am really in love with Helga…_

* * *

><p>After the mood had been lifted Helga joined the boys without any questions asked. They played video games for many hours before the pizza arrived and they started eating. They were all laughing and having fun and the whole Lila incident was forgotten.<p>

Once the pizza was gone, Sid declared he wanted to do something else.

"Like what?" Gerald asked.

"I don't know! Just something random and weird."

Helga snorted. "We could play dress-up." She joked, which earned a few laughs.

"Yes!" Sid bellowed happily though. "Let's play dress-up!"

Helga was gawking at him. "I was joking, you know."

"I'm not. Come on! I want to do something weird!"

"You _are_ weird." Gerald contorted, but started smiling. "It could be fun though."

"Gerald?" Arnold questioned, surprised how they all seemed so onboard with it.

"I _do_ have this really ugly gown Olga gave me." Helga muttered. Arnold couldn't help but laugh; it was all so strange. "_I'm_ not wearing it though. I think one of you boys should."

"No way!" most of the boys exclaimed. "You're the only girl here; _you_ wear it."

Helga huffed, but stood up anyway. "I might be the only girl, but I'm not the most girly one here." She insisted, shooting a deliberate gaze in Arnold's direction as she started walking.

"Excuse _me_!" Arnold cried, sounding like Henry the Lizard from _Amazing Animals_. The others laughed though and soon, their creativity was put to the test.

While Helga was changing, the boys had to figure something out on their own. They used pillow cases, blankets and basically anything they could get their hands on. Soon they all looked like something belonging in a low-budget children's movie.

"You look ridiculous." Gerald stated as he eyed the handle-less strainer on Arnold's head and the platter tied around his chest. "What are you; the tin man?"

"What are _you_?" Arnold retorted, eyeing the black cloth wrapped around Gerald's body. "A bad excuse for a ninja?"

"I at least look like what I'm supposed to be."

"I do too! I'm a knight!"

"… You look like the tin man."

"The things I do for others' amusement." Helga could be heard saying out in the hallway. Arnold signaled for them all to be quiet and moved to hide near the doorway. "I look like Ariel from _The little mermaid_!"

And Helga did indeed look like Ariel in that pink dress; the sleeves were tight around her arms, but had short puff sleeves on the shoulders. Like the sleeves, the dress was tight around her chest and abdomen, but went big and wide from her waist and down to the floor; she looked prettily silly.

"Don't worry, princess." Arnold bellowed and surprised Helga so much she almost jumped into his arms, which made it easier for him to lift her into his embrace.

"_Princess_?!" Helga repeated in disbelief and laughed at his costume. "Does that make you my knight in shining armor?"

Arnold almost blushed at her joke, but continued his acting. "I will protect thee from those evil, uh…" he continued and eyed his friends' costumes. "Ninjas, pirates, aliens and… robots?" he questioned.

"Robot-mode activated. Beep." Stinky joked and moved like a robot.

Sid made a hoarse sound with his throat. "We do _not_ come in peace."

"That'd be right, me lass." Harold said in a sneer.

"Arnold's a lad, _I'm_ a lass." Helga corrected.

"I was talking to _you_!" Harold insisted.

"The hell you were."

"Madame Fortress Princess…"

"Get them!" Gerald shouted and ran towards Arnold and Helga with the others right behind them. Arnold and Helga shrieked artificially and the game began.

* * *

><p>Once they were done playing, they decided to end the night with a horror movie. Despite Arnold's best attempt, there wasn't room enough for them all on the pillow fort so he had to bring the armchair to the pillow fort so he could sit there rather than on the bare wooden floor. Once he sat down on it, Helga sat on the armrest next to him, claiming she would fall asleep if she was lying on the pillows. They accepted her explanation since they were all rather tired at this point.<p>

Arnold couldn't focus on the movie at all with Helga so close to him though, not that it wasn't an interesting movie and it was even a scary moment. He looked at Helga who was watching the screen with half-lidded eyes; she was exhausted.

The sound from the movie was mostly silent except for the sound of the girl walking on the creaking floor. She was reaching for the door handle when an axe clawed right through it with impossible ease while dramatic music played.

Helga, who had been on the brink at falling asleep, woke up in a start and fell to her left and down on Arnold's lap. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" she cursed and breathed heavily. The boys laughed at her reaction, but all Arnold did was blushing. The room was dark so no one could see it so he didn't bother forcing it away.

"You ok?" Arnold asked and gestured to help her sit up.

"Yeah, I was just startled." She said and let him hoist her up until she was sitting rather than lying on his lap. "I think I'll stay here though; I don't want to fall down again." She stated and frowned at Arnold's chest. She quickly pulled off the platter around his torso and the strainer from his head and put it on the floor so they wouldn't hurt her.

Arnold simply looked back at the screen, ignoring the pleasurable feeling of Helga on his lap. Gerald shot him a teasing look, but the blonde just shrugged, pretending he had no idea why it was funny or even remotely interesting that his stepsister was sitting on his lap.

As they continued watching the movie, Arnold noticed that Helga was nodding off. She only woke up whenever a jumpscare would appear on the screen only to doze off again right after. By the time the movie was done, she was in deep sleep.

"Well, I'm as dead as a zombie." Harold declared, his eyes clamping down.

"So, you're living dead." Gerald joked.

"Oh, shut up." Harold retorted and stood wobbly up from the pillow fort. "I'm going to bed."

"Me too." Stinky approved.

"Me three." Sid agreed.

"Arnold, you coming?" Gerald asked and eyed Helga on his lap. "Do you need some help with getting her to bed or something?" he asked while the other boys simply walked out of the room, leaving Gerald with Arnold and Helga.

"Oh, uh. No." Arnold answered and looked at his stepsister. "I don't want to risk waking her up and her getting angry with me; she's cranky when she's tired." He lied. In reality, he just wanted to enjoy this odd, tender moment; if she woke up and realized how loving rather than passionately he was holding her, he feared she would pull away and never come back in his arms. The mere thought was devastating.

Gerald cooed playfully. "Such a good brother." He teased, earning a scowl from Arnold.

The comment hurt because he was everything _but_ a good brother. A good brother wouldn't lust after his own sister, step or not and a good brother would definitely not fall in love with her either and not risk just his own relationship with her, but his dad's relationship with her mom. Everything was a mess and it was the first time in Arnold's life, he couldn't find a bright side.

"Want a blanket?" Gerald asked, but didn't wait for an answer. He walked towards the couch and grabbed the blanket over the backrest.

"Thanks." Arnold said as Gerald put the blanket over Helga and Arnold.

"It's a bit of a shame though." The taller boy said thoughtfully and headed towards the doorframe. Arnold looked at him over his shoulder. "You two would probably have made a cute couple." The African boy finished and shot Arnold a look that told him he was deadly serious. Arnold flinched at the brown eyes looking at him; they told him Gerald either knew about his feelings or was starting to figure them out.

"D-Don't be disgusting, Gerald." Arnold insisted and huffed as if that was the dumbest suggestion he had ever heard. Gerald didn't say anything though; he obviously wasn't buying it. _If I can't even hide it from Gerald, what are the chances Helga won't realize it too?_ He thought and looked away from his friend. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Gerald answered and left Arnold and Helga alone in the living room. The boy looked at his stepsister whom he considered nothing like a sister. She was moving in her sleep now and her head ended on his shoulder. Her soft breath tickled his neck and he bit on his lips before tightening his grip around her.

_Painful._ His mind stated as his shoulders shook. _Oh, God. This hurts so much…_

Helga hummed lowly. "Arnold…?" she questioned and yawned. "You're squishing me." She told him. Arnold didn't say anything, but simply loosened his grip; he didn't let completely go of her thought. She readjusted herself again to sit up properly and yawned once more. "I guess I fell asleep." She mumbled and noticed the tears in the corner of his eyes. "What's with you?"

Arnold felt a tear rolling down his cheek and quickly swiped it away even though he knew she had already seen it. "N-Nothing. I'm just tired." He lied even though it wasn't a lie. He _was_ tired, just not physically.

Helga eyed him for a long and tense moment. Her hands moved to his cheeks and she kissed him in what he supposed was to be in a soothing manner, but it hurt. It hurt to kiss her so lovingly. It hurt to pretend she was his when she wasn't. And it hurt to love her emotionally when he could only show her physically.

Arnold took Helga's hands in his own, cradling them in his palms. "I can't do this." He declared, almost matter-of-factly, but he shivered from the mere words.

"Can't do what… exactly?" the blonde questioned and tried to capture his eyes. He didn't look at her; he didn't dare. He was afraid he would lose this pseudo-courage he felt boiling inside him.

He put her hands to his mouth and closed his eyes tightly. "I'm in love with you." He sighed and it almost felt liberating to admit it; to confess these forbidden feelings in his heart.

The feeling of relief was short-termed though because reality's cruel face showed itself when Arnold opened his eyes and saw the look of pure shock in Helga's eyes. She didn't look angry nor sad; she was simply stunned.

"I'm sorry." Arnold said, his lips quivering at this point. She still just stared at him though and he shut his eyes tight. "I'm so sorry." He repeated desperately. "I know it's wrong and probably disgusting and I wish I hadn't said anything, but now I have and I can't take it back even though I want to. I… I'm in love with you, Helga and I wish I wasn't because I don't want to mess things up between us or our parents. And I don't want to… oh, God, I won't want to lose you and what we have. Can we… Can we forget I said anything? Can we pretend this never happened?"

Helga's eyes weren't wide anymore, but they were glazed over as if they were made out of glass and she was eerily quiet. She moved away from Arnold, gripping the blanket around her arms before it fell down. He said her name, even tried to grab her arm, but he was so weak against her that she didn't even have to fight against him. She walked slowly, as if minding every step she took.

Arnold watched her for a bit before standing up. "Helga." he called again and she stopped walking. All he could see was her blonde hair cascading over the blanket; she almost looked like a ghost he couldn't reach. He wanted to beg. He wanted to plead. He wanted to go down on his knees and beg her to forget what he had said, but…

"This… isn't something you can ignore… is it?"

Helga turned her head agonizingly slowly and looked at him over her shoulder. She moved her head from one side to the other, shaking her head leisurely. It was _perhaps_ the most excruciatingly painful sight he had ever seen. No, he was sure that it _was_.

"No… No, of course it isn't. This isn't something you can forget." He whispered to himself and put his hand to his forehead. He chuckled, but he didn't understand why. His teeth bit onto his lower lip, struggling to keep him from crying. He could feel his heart drop to his stomach stay there like an anchor pulling him down in the deep, dark ocean. His vision failed him and he felt like a blind man inside a labyrinth with no way out.

Then, as if by magic, he felt something other than the anchor in his stomach. A familiar, redeemable feeling lifted his heart and settled it in his chest; his vision returned and he could see his savior in front of him. She leaned back from the kiss she had bestowed upon his lips; this life-changing caress.

Arnold didn't know what this meant. The future was unclear and the unsettling feeling in his chest wasn't gone, not by a long shot. But this was the point of no return for him. He was undeniably in love and he had given his feelings a voice. A voice so loud, he wondered if she could hear it calling her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I am **_**not**_** sure how well that Henry the Lizard reference worked xD How many of you watched "Amazing animals" as kids? I watched it in Danish naturally and in Danish his name is Freddie Firben xD (Firben is Danish for lizard)**


	11. A step above me

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After the rumors about Helga slapping Lila had stilled, but not disappeared, the boys decided to invite themselves to Arnold's house. Despite not being fully up for it, Arnold agreed.**_

_**Arnold still hadn't told most of the boys the truth about what happened at Rhonda's party, but after some encouraging from both Helga and Gerald, he finally told them and the boys forgave Helga for slapping Lila.**_

_**After a few words that hit Arnold's heart hard from Gerald, he confessed his feelings to Helga who didn't have a single word to say to his confession.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: You will **_**finally**_** get to hear a little more about what Helga's thinking in this chapter. But I'm still sticking to what I have said before: This is mostly from Arnold's POV; we will only be graced with Helga's thoughts when she talks about them.**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 11: "A step above me"<span>

Arnold wasn't sure for how long he had been sleeping. Only that he felt heavy when he woke up. His mind was blank; where was he? This wasn't the ceiling he usually woke up to. He tried moving, but something was holding him back and it wasn't his own newly-awakened muscles. He looked down and saw blonde locks, which were not his own, on his chest. He moved them aside and saw what was, in that moment, the most beautiful face in the world.

Memories from last night flooded back in Arnold's mind. He heard himself confess to Helga, he felt her kiss him and he saw her gesture for them to sit down on the armchair. They had fallen asleep after that.

Arnold hugged Helga tightly like he had done the night before, but this time it was out of happiness and not sorrow. She hadn't said anything, he still didn't know how she felt, but he was just so grateful she hadn't pushed him away. She was still here; she was still in his arms.

"You're squishing me… again." Helga mumbled against Arnold's neck.

"Sorry…"

"… You're still not letting go."

"I don't want to." Arnold announced and held her tighter for emphasis.

She snorted. "You're going to have to before our parents come home and find us like this."

Arnold groaned, but he knew she was right so he let go. She stretched her arms before moving to stand up. _She seems so… natural._ Arnold thought, not in disappointment, but in awe.

"Helga." He said softly and the blonde girl looked back at him. "I just… want to thank you for last night. You had every right to maybe freak out or even get angry. I mean, you made it clear that you're not interested in love so I thought you'd get disappointed with me… so I'm just really happy you took it so well."

Helga's facial expression changed instantly. It went from drowsy to… to what exactly, Arnold couldn't see. "Oh. Uh, sure…" she mumbled and looked away. She had an odd and pensive look in her eyes.

Arnold observed her quietly, but he couldn't figure out what she was thinking at all. "Helga, are you ok?"

"Huh…? Yeah. Why?" she asked and looked at him. He didn't say anything and neither did she. It was quiet for a bit, but then she took a step towards the door. "I'm, uh, gonna head upstairs to change."

"Oh, o… kay." He responded, but she wasn't listening. He could not just see, but even hear her dress swishing as she jogged up the stairs. _I guess… she's not as ok with it as I thought…_ He thought in disappointment, but then shook his head violently. _No. Don't be like that._ He told himself. _It's understandable that she's reacting this way. I'll just give her some space._

* * *

><p>Arnold did indeed give Helga space; in fact he gave her so much, she didn't even have to be sneaky about getting ahold of Phoebe and bringing the girl out of the school in order to talk with her alone. Phoebe wasn't just a smart girl, she also knew of Helga's habits and her quirks and she knew this wasn't just a friendly outing. The taller girl had this pensive look in her eyes, which usually only appeared if something had shocked her or if she had a question in her heart she couldn't answer herself. Phoebe was curious, but knew better than to question her. She waited patiently under the tree in Hillwood park while her blonde friend was lazily molesting the grass she was sitting next to.<p>

"Phoebe." Helga finally said softly. So softly that Phoebe wasn't sure if she really had said her name, but decided to speak anyhow.

"Yes?" she questioned.

"… Would you say that… if you kiss someone that means you love them or you love someone because you kiss them?"

Phoebe's eyes widened a bit, but enough to make her glasses fall down her nose. She readjusted them and hummed thoughtfully. "I'm assuming that what you're asking is… whether someone can kiss you without it meaning they are in love with you?" she asked. Helga nodded, still looking at the grass rather than her friend. Phoebe hummed. "Well, I suppose that in this day and age, love and sex don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. Sex is - - "

"Who said anything about sex?" Helga interrupted, looking at Phoebe with her eyebrows knitted together.

Phoebe frowned at her friend's stubbornness. "Very well… _Kissing_ is not as much as a taboo as it has been before, so naturally some people are willing to be intimate with someone without necessarily harboring any feelings for that someone."

"So kissing doesn't have to lead to an actual relationship?"

"Not necessarily… Helga, why are you asking this?"

"… Is it wrong to assume that a person is in love with you because they let you kiss them then?"

"Well… I personally think that people should always make it verbally clear what they want… and before it's been said out loud, how can anyone be sure what the other is thinking? Love is not just about showing it, it's also about voicing your feelings."

"So what you're saying is…?"

"Yes and no… I wouldn't call it _wrong_ to assume a person likes you if they kiss you since in today's world a kiss doesn't have to mean anything… but I suppose it depends on the situation."

Helga sighed before letting herself fall down in the soft grass behind her. "For once, you have been of no help, Phoebs…"

Phoebe lifted herself off the ground with her palms and sat back down again once she was facing Helga. "Which one of these hypothetical characters are you in this scenario?"

The blonde's lips turned into two thin lines. "The one… who has been told the other is in love with her."

"I wasn't aware you were currently intimate with someone." Phoebe stated and looked away thoughtfully. Then she frowned. "It's not Wolfgang, is it?"

"Phoebe!" Helga scolded and sat back up.

"I just had to be sure." Phoebe apologized with a small grin, but it disappeared soon. "So… now you're unsure what to do because this person you've been physical with has fallen in love with you and you don't feel anything for him?"

"… That's the bigger issue though…"

"What is?"

"Whether I feel something for him or not…" Helga admitted in a low voice, almost ashamed of what she was confessing.

"Helga." Phoebe said in awe and readjusted herself so she could see her friend's face.

"Don't give me that look."

"I'm sorry, but… I've known you for so long, I…" Phoebe said and put her hand to her mouth, her eyes completely wide in wonder. "I never thought you'd consider giving someone a place in your heart…"

"Oh, must you put it like that?!" Helga hissed. "As if this whole situation is fucked up enough, you're trying to make it sound like a sappy love story!"

"Why is it a mess, Helga?" Phoebe asked. Helga simply shot her friend a dirty look though before turning her head away. "And then you clam up…" the shorter girl muttered and sighed. She bit on her lower lip for a moment, considering the best way to phrase her next question. It had to be simple and straightforward. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know, honestly." The blonde admitted. "I'm not sure which one of us even started this. It seemed so… I don't know, indifferent and innocent in the beginning, but then it turned… it turned real all of a sudden and everything became such a mess."

"When he told you he was in love with you?"

"No, before that actually."

"_Before_?" Phoebe probed in surprise.

Even Helga seemed surprised at her own words. "Yeah… actually, I was already starting to question my own feelings _before_ he told me about his…" she said before groaning and hiding her face in her hands. "I'm in really big trouble, Phoebs. This is so bad."

"First things first, we should try to figure out if you do indeed have feelings for him."

"How?"

"Hypothetically speaking…" Phoebe said in a small cough. "If I said you weren't allowed to touch him… how does that make you feel?"

"I'm already _not_ allowed to touch him, Phoebs."

"Already?" Phoebe repeated questioningly. Helga looked up at her friend, waiting for the truth to sink in. It didn't take too long and Phoebe's eyes widened more than they had done before. "Oh… Oh, Helga. Of all people - - "

"I don't know! It just _happened_! But sure, give me the whole shebang; tell me we're disgusting, that we're sick and we're selfish."

"Why would I say that?" Phoebe asked genuinely. Helga's jaw almost dropped to the ground, but she forced her teeth to stay together. "Well, yes, it's not a very common situation and perhaps it is questionable to some, but you haven't done anything lawfully wrong."

"Tell that to our _parents_."

"Oh, dear Lord. Do they know?"

"Of course not! You think we're insane? Well, our sanity is definitely questionable after the mess we have made together, but we haven't lost it just yet."

"It still leaves us with my former question." Phoebe said seriously. "Imagine not being allowed to touch him at all, not even a hug… how does that make you feel?"

"Isn't… Isn't this just a physical question?"

"On the contrary. We feel the _need_ to touch someone special if we crave _them_ as a person. If what you feel is just physical, it shouldn't be too difficult to stay away. Now, answer my question." Phoebe ordered gently. She watched as Helga's face eventually went from stale to brooding to downright frustrated. "I wonder if you are in fact thinking or if you are simply stalling so you don't have to face the truth."

Helga responded by letting her forehead hit her bended knees. "I don't know… I simply don't know how I feel…"

"What _do_ you know then?" Phoebe questioned.

Helga inhaled slowly, as if bracing for impact. "I don't hate that he's in love with me…" she said and looked at Phoebe who smiled softly. "Crap… that's answer enough, isn't it?" the blonde asked to which the Asian girl nodded her head. Helga let her chin fall in Phoebe's shoulder as she cursed under her breath. She really was in bad trouble.

* * *

><p>It had been a long time since there had been this awkward silence between himself and Helga; he didn't like it very much. He forced himself to keep quiet, silently waiting for Helga to say something… <em>anything<em>. That moment never came and so when they reached home, he was sure they would go to their own rooms and they wouldn't see each other again until dinner.

When Arnold reached for his door though, he heard Helga say his name. He turned around in surprise, his eyes gleaming with hope. "Uh, yes?" he probed. He watched as she leaned against the door, fiddling with her fingers. His hope faded.

"Could I… request something from you that might not make any sense?"

"Uh… s-sure, Helga. Anything."

Helga smiled momentarily at his obedience; it was oddly sweet he wanted to please her so much. "Could you… _not_ touch me today?"

Arnold's chest jolted at her words, unsure of how to react to the way his heart stopped beating. It was a simple request, she had even added "today" rather than _ever_, but it still hurt to be asked of such a thing. "Uh… well, yes, but… why are you…?"

"I know it sounds weird, but… just trust me. I'll, uh… explain it tonight. Just try it… ok?" she asked and finally looked into his eyes. He felt his head nod even though he wanted to shake it as if his life depended on it. Even as he watched her walk into his room, he still wanted to tell her no. Tell her he hated being denied touching her; especially because he didn't know why. He clenched his hands into fist, ignoring how much he wanted to knock on her door and demand an explanation. Demand to know why she had changed her mind so suddenly. But he didn't. He went into his room, like the obedient boy that he was, and he stayed there until it was time for dinner.

It felt like years before Arnold saw Helga again that day. She still seemed to be in an off mood, but she also seemed less confused somehow. Perhaps she had come to a decision, but was now pondering how to go about it? He feared what she would tell him later. He was scared out of his mind and he didn't understand why she had been so acceptant last night if she was just going to act like this the next day.

Arnold shut his eyes tight, silently praying his dad and Miriam wouldn't question him right now. He had felt their stares, but they had yet to question him about anything. They were busy talking about the wedding and about the job interview Miriam had been to today. If she got the job, it would be the first time in year she'd work. She was apparently looking forward to it, but was also a little nervous about the whole thing. Miles was too busy trying to mend her worries to ask Arnold what was going on and his son was in fact grateful for that; he really couldn't imagine dealing with this verbally as well. His heart was screaming enough as it was.

Arnold could feel his dull nails digging into his right thigh, struggling to look normal as he ate with his left hand. Since he was left-handed it didn't feel unnatural, but everything else in this situation felt abnormal. His thigh was almost starting to hurt when he felt skin on the back of his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at his plate, ignoring the urge to look at his lap. He could feel fingertips tickling his skin and he moved a finger up to meet the hand. The fingers accepted his touch and even tangled with his own under the table.

_She's the only one who can reach me…_ Arnold had to remind himself. Helga was sitting next to him on his right, Miles was to his left and Miriam was to Helga's right. It was a rectangular table with smooth edges, but Miles and Miriam were slightly separated from Arnold and Helga; there was no way any of them could reach him under the table. _It's Helga's hand…_

Arnold had to hold back the sight of relief he felt growing in his throat. Just feeling her skin on his was heavenly and he tightened his hold around her hand to feel more of her warmth on his sensitive palm. She tightened back before moving her hand upwards, her fingers tickling his palms in the process. He feared she would remove her hand completely, but she simply started making small patterns in his palm. It tickled and his fingers naturally moved to shroud around hers and she let him. It was an oddly tender moment just like last night, but it didn't last nearly as long.

Once they were both done with their dinner, Miriam and Miles told them they could just leave the plates and go to their rooms if they wanted to. Helga moved almost instantly and Arnold couldn't help but follow her though he thanked for the meal before leaving. He followed her up the stairs, trying to keep up with her anything but dawdling pace. She walked into his room rather than her own and he barely got in before she slammed him up against his door, closing it in the process.

"Helga - - " he barely got to finish her name before she kissed him with a sudden passion he didn't know where was coming from. His eyes shot closed in shock and his mouth responded naturally. He heard the sound of his door locking and figured Helga had locked it since his own hands were on her hips. He wouldn't have thought of locking it to begin with anyway. He tried saying her name, but her kisses muffled his voice and it turned into a groan when she pushed him towards the bed, her mouth never leaving his.

"Helga!" Arnold finally said and let himself fall backwards with Helga straddling him. She was looking down at him, panting heavily, but also waiting for him to talk. "As happy… as I am… and I really _am_…" he continued and forced himself to breathe slower. "You have to talk to me… I can't take it. I need to know what you're thinking…"

Helga breathed a couple of times, urging it to go slower. She closed her mouth and was about to move away, but Arnold grabbed her wrists and kept her there. She didn't try to budge, but simply kept looking at him.

"What I'm… thinking…?" the blonde girl repeated to which the blonde boy nodded seriously. "I'm not really good at being honest like that…"

Arnold gulped at that. He knew he had to mind his words. "Please… for me?" he tried softly.

She snorted. "That's low…" she muttered jokingly, but the smile quickly faded. She made something that resembled a growl before pulling one of her hands up to her head and scratching it. "I… didn't like not touching or seeing you for so many hours…"

"Huh?" Arnold mumbled, his eyes widening only a tiny bit in surprise.

Her hand fell to his chest, her fingers lightly touching him. "I talked to Phoebe today… I told her about what's been going on between you and me… or more like she figured out it was you I was talking about." His stepsister admitted and his eyes widened all the more.

"What?" he gasped and sat up, looking at her intensely, which caused her to look away. "What… did she say?"

"Nothing special, not that I had expected her to." Helga replied, about to cross her arms, but unwilling to let go of Arnold's hand. "She said the bigger issue was for me to figure out how _I_ felt… She's known me my whole life, Arnold and frankly, she was more shocked that I hadn't pushed you away after you told me how you felt…" she chuckled. "That was more shocking than the fact I am kissing my stepbrother on a daily basis."

Arnold wanted to chuckle as well to relieve the tension, but he couldn't bring himself to so he simply gulped. "Then… what did she have to say about… about everything else?"

Helga's smile faded again and she turned her head even further away. "Um… she basically told me to… try and imagine not being allowed to be around you… I couldn't imagine it properly… that's why I told you to stay away from me today." She explained quietly. "I hoped it could cast some light on… how _I_ feel."

Those words made Arnold's heart stand still. He gulped once more and unconsciously tightened his hold on Helga's hand. "And… what did you… find out?" he asked. He wanted to believe her kisses meant she felt something for him, but he didn't want to be overzealous; not yet, not with this.

Helga seemed to hesitate or perhaps she was considering her words carefully. "I… don't know how I feel, Arnold… I've never had to think about it before because I never had any doubts, but… I know that I'm not repulsed with you for how you feel, which has been my former reaction whenever someone told me they liked me even a little bit… I want to tell you that it means something, but I honestly don't know. I just know that I… didn't like not being around you today… and the thought of that becoming the norm… scares me. Uh, no. Not scares, more like… oh, well. _Scares_ is as good a word as any…" she admitted. "I guess, in the end, I just want to… I just want you to… not to give up on me just yet."

Arnold just looked at her. Those weren't words he had expected to hear from her nor were they what he had dreamed of her saying. In a perfect world she would have thrown her arms around him, told him she loved him and everything would turn out ok. But this was reality and the girl he was in love with had trust issues and that was even a part of her he liked. He liked being the closest to her, to be the person she would turn to, even if that didn't necessarily mean she was in love with him. She admitted she didn't know how she felt, but she also told him not to give up on her… so he was going to trust her. She was trusting him with her feelings so he would trust her with his.

Arnold moved his hand up to Helga's cheek and she finally looked in his eyes. She looked so uncharacteristically vulnerable right then; he liked the strong Helga, but he also liked the Helga who was willing to let him see her weaker side. He was sure that was a rare treat only the people closest to her was given. He moved towards her slowly and let his lips peck hers. She sighed into the kiss and pressed a little more against him. They pulled away, eyeing each other for a moment before the blonde clashed her lips against his urgently.

They landed almost instantly on the bed with Helga fully enveloping Arnold's hips with her thighs. He could feel her move against him, hear her moan, taste her tongue around his own; it still made his heart speed up no matter how many times they did and this time, it was different. He felt emotionally closer to her than ever and he just wanted her as physically close to him as possible. Before he knew it, his hands had traveled under her t-shirt; his fingers tickling her sides until she shivered from his touch.

Helga leaned away so she could look at him. She had an oddly sensual look in her eyes and it made his hands freeze on her skin. There was something in the air, something that told him this wouldn't end with a kiss. She did kiss him once more though before moving down his jaw and kissing his Adam's apple and licking his throat. He tightened his hold on her hips, wanting her to stay close to him. He felt her hands roll down his chest and eventually landing on his waist. He jolted at the intimate touch and his breath got heavy when her hand cupped him.

_Oh, God._ Arnold thought nervously and his eyes, which were already closed, shut even tighter. To say he was anxious would be an understatement. He felt so self-conscious he didn't even notice Helga had stopped her movement. She was looking down at him, his face contorted with tension. It was almost cute, but she held back her snicker. She poked him gently on his shoulder and his eyes sprung open.

She chortled for a mere second before putting her hand on his cheek in a soothing manner. "Hey… want to play a game?" she asked gently.

He blinked a couple of times, wondering if he had heard her right. "A… game…?" he repeated in something akin to disbelief, but he was too surprised to show his shock. Her hand was still on his lower abdomen, but it had stilled. She simply nodded at his question before grabbing him and turning them around so she was lying underneath him. In the process, she had closed her eyes and was showing a content smile.

"Let's see…" the girl muttered and moved her hand slowly up towards him. The boy stayed still, watching her hand curiously as it moved towards his ear. She fondled it for a moment before smiling again. "An ear…"

Arnold quirked an eyebrow at Helga's statement while she moved her hand over his temple and touched the short hairs over his eye. She announced it was his eyebrow before moving down his nose, stating that as well and then down to his lips. He wasn't sure what she was doing at all, but without noticing it, his heart slowed down to a steadier pace.

Her middle finger touched behind his ear. "You know what this muscle is called?"

"The ear?" he questioned, which she snickered at.

"No… I mean from here…" she whispered and moved her finger gently down from the back of his ear to the middle of his collarbone. "… to here."

"Uh…" he mumbled and gulped. "N-No."

"Sternocleidomastoid… it's one of the muscles with the longest name even though it's so short."

"Didn't… Didn't know you knew anatomy…"

Helga shrugged. "Olga taught me some things. I guess they stuck." She admitted before moving her hand to his t-shirt and frowned. "Hmm… fabric. Can't really figure out what muscle is beneath it like this."

Arnold knew what Helga was doing at this point; she was trying to make the situation less tense by making it into an innocent game. It was working so he decided to play along. He sat up and removed his t-shirt before putting his hands back on the mattress.

"How… How about now?" Arnold asked softly.

Helga's hands went to his chest instantly and she smiled. "Yes… pectorals… or Pectoralis Major if you want the anatomically specific name…" she said and moved her hands to the middle of his sides. "Serratus Anterior…" she mumbled and moved her hands down to his hips. "External Oblique." She stated before moving her hands to the middle of his abdomen.

Arnold's breath was getting heavier and the anxiety was soon replaced with lust. Helga had her eyes dutifully closed, but her voice was getting more and more erotic with every word she spoke. Even without seeing him, she could feel his reaction to her every touch. She was touching him lightly, almost ghostly, and it sent a trail of goose bumps over his entire skin.

"Rectus Abdominis…" the girl mumbled and moved her palms slowly downwards, her nails digging into his skin. "… and it doesn't end till…" she continued and stopped just above his waistline, causing him to jerk against her hands desperately. "… here."

"Oh, God, Helga. Please…" Arnold panted pleadingly.

"Too much?" she questioned, but he knew she was smirking cockily without him even looking.

"No… too little… Please, you've… proven your point. I'm calm now." He begged.

"I don't know… you still sound nervous." Helga teased, biting her lower lip flirtatiously. He groaned in pain. After feeling her kisses and her touches and hearing her words, he had reached his limit and his legs were even shaking. "Maybe if you kiss me, you might convince - - "

Helga didn't get to finish her unnecessarily mocking suggestion before Arnold was already kissing her. She could have requested basically anything at that point and he would have done it; as long as it meant she would finally give him what he needed so much from her. He felt her move her left leg under him and he moved his own leg so she had enough space to put it over his waist. He loved that feeling of her pushing him against her and today, it just felt all the better.

The soft clinking of his belt being unbuckled filled Arnold's ears along with the sweet sound of Helga's moans. He moved his hand under her neck to ankle her head better so he could gain access to her throat. He could feel her gulp against his lips and she kissed the top of his head before her hand went inside his pants. He held back what he predicted would have been a loud groan. He bit down on her shoulder to hold it in as she gently started stroking him.

She shivered when he moaned hoarsely into her ear. She tightened her grip with both her hand on her leg and started to rub up against him with her hips for effect. She wouldn't admit it, but she hadn't done this before. Without the experience though, she had a feeling she was doing something right because his hips were starting to move erratically against her body. She could feel him twitch in her hand and she almost felt like asking him if he was feeling good just for the joke; the answer was pretty obvious without him vocalizing it.

Arnold did vocalize it though in a small, and panting voice. It sounded more like a warning than a statement so Helga quickly put her mouth against his. She shrouded his lips with hers to help him keep quiet and she picked up her speed. Within few seconds she felt something warm shoot up her wrist and arm and she would probably have felt it on her stomach if her t-shirt wasn't covering it.

_Huh. Warmer than I thought…_ Helga thought and slowly let go of Arnold's lips, noticing how swollen she had made them. She snickered. "Sorry about… your lips…"

He was breathing heavily, his eyes still clouded in the afterglow of his orgasm. "Uh… right back at you." He mumbled.

She looked at him in surprise before moving her free hand up to her lips. "Criminy… I think you drew blood." She muttered, moved her lips inside her mouth and licked the blood away. She snickered in shock. "Jesus, remind me not to let you kiss me when we do this the next time; if we get scars from this, people might start wondering."

_Next time…_ Arnold thought and sighed before letting his head fall to her shoulder. He couldn't handle thinking about a possible next time; he was already so exhausted from just a few minutes. "What are we… What are we going to do with… _that_?"

"That? Oh, _that_. Um… I didn't think that through."

"Me neither…"

"Well, you had an eligible excuse." Helga teased before pushing him gently at his chest. He moved upwards and looked between them, blushing when he recognized the stuff on their stomachs and in her hand. "Uh… mind lending me a shirt or… actually some pants too."

"S-Sure." Arnold answered and stood up, quickly zipping his pants as he walked towards his closet. "You can, uh… u-use my other shirt to, um - - "

"Yeah, I get it." Helga interrupted, saving him the humiliation of saying it aloud. She grabbed the t-shirt and quickly wiped her hand on it before cleaning her stomach and thigh as well. _This part of it isn't exactly sexy… Next time I should think ahead… or maybe I should take it a step further. That's probably less messy_. She thought and had to hold back a snicker at the thought. She was looking forward to next time already.

When Helga turned to look at Arnold he was already wearing a different shirt. He was looking around in his closet, probably trying to find something suitable for her. It was sweet he cared so much. She quickly put the t-shirt down, making sure to fold it in a way so it wouldn't mess the bed up before she walked towards him. She put her arms over his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I'm not picky with clothing, Arnold… Honestly, I think I'm clean enough to get back to my own room and just change into my pajamas. We'll have to throw our dirty clothes in the laundry though without our parents seeing why they need _cleaning_ to begin with." Helga told Arnold and he nodded meekly. "What's gotten you clammed up?" she asked before licking him behind his ear.

He moaned for a second and grabbed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm just… not sure what to say after we did that…" he admitted and turned to look at her properly.

She hummed thoughtfully. "How about: _That was swell, darling. Mind doing that again sometime_?" she suggested teasingly.

Her words just made him blush harder, but he figured that was what she wanted. "Then… th-that…" he whispered.

"Aww, you're not gonna say it?" she teased, but obviously wasn't expecting him to. She grabbed him by the hand and walked towards the bed. She quickly grabbed the t-shirt in her other hand and walked out of his room after unlocking it. He followed her obediently into her room, wondering what she was thinking. "Hold on a sec."

Helga let go of Arnold's hand, giving him the t-shirt before she went to her closet. She grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head without warning. He instinctively looked away, but his eyes had an instinct of their own. He watched her throwing the t-shirt down on the floor, her pants soon following them. She grabbed a much bigger t-shirt, one of those she usually slept in and pulled it over her head.

After grabbing her clothes, she walked back to him. "Wanna follow me to the laundry room?" she asked. He nodded with a smile, happy she had already relieved him or else he might have been faced with another _boy problem_ after the small show she just gave him.

They walked out of her room and headed down the stairs when Arnold felt the urge to do something. "Helga." He said gently. Once she had stopped at a step, she turned to look at him and he stopped as well. He looked at her for a bit before leaning down and kissing her sweetly on her lips. She didn't respond, but he didn't give her the time to either before he had already leaned back up.

She blinked a couple of times before snorting. "You deliberately stopped at a step above me." She concluded and he looked away in embarrassment.

"You couldn't have let me have that one?" he asked, but she simply shook her head as she grinned at him. He smiled back at her; he was just so happy to have gotten this far with her. It was more than he could have ever hoped for; their situation considered. It was far from over though, this was just a milestone on the path of however this would end. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, it would perhaps even get much harder now that he had confessed. But it was hopefully a step in a direction he liked. And maybe, just maybe… they could end up on the same step.

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I know, I **_**know**_**; cheesy ending line is **_**cheesy**_**, but what you gotta do? xD I would like to say I'm sorry for this one taking particularly long to get written – Uh, basically those of you who have read my former work may know that I'm having some health problems with my head. I'm vasovagal, which bluntly stated means I have a tendency to faint and I also have chronic headaches and sometimes they get so bad, I don't come to school for a week. So, yeah, please keep that in mind even if some of you are very eager to read the next chapter.**

**I'm saying this because while I love being told people are eager to read the next chapter and people love my stories it can also get quite stressful when I constantly receive reviews saying: "Please update soon". I always update whenever the next chapter is ready, I don't have them lying around and am purposely waiting just to make you guys more excited or something. I'm not Telltale games xD (Sorry for the shot, Telltale games, but I'm still miffed about them changing the release date for the second episode of **_**Tales from the borderlands**_** – ha-ha) Anyways! Hopefully I'll feel better son and the next chapter won't take this long to write Cx**


	12. Something you can pause

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After Arnold had confessed his feelings for Helga, it left his stepsister in quite the predicament because she wasn't sure how she felt about it. After consulting Phoebe about it, she only got more confused. She requested Arnold not to touch her or talk to her all day to the boy's dismay and confusion.**_

_**Later that evening though, Helga kisses Arnold again and explains to him that she wanted to test her own feelings for him. She admitted she still didn't know how she feels, but she also told him not to give up on her just yet.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Don't know how I managed to get this written so fast, my head considered… Perhaps I'm starting to feel better? :D Anyways! **_**Naughty**_** chapter ahead ;)**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 12: "Something you can pause"<span>

"So, class. Please remember to pack your bags in time before our trip. We're leaving at 9am sharp this Saturday. You'll be left behind if you're not in time at the train station." Their homeroom teacher told them just before the bell rang. "Remember to pack warm clothing! It'll snow this weekend."

"I think we've all heard about the snowstorm already." Sid said and looked at Helga who was quick to stand up. He stood up as well and put his arm over her. "If we get snowed in, you can always come to me if you wanna get warm."

"I'd rather die from hypothermia." Helga answered before tightening her hold around Sid's wrist. He groaned in pain and let go of her shoulders.

He shot her a bit of a dirty look as he rubbed his sore wrist, but he also started grinning. "I believe your temper will keep you warm enough." He stated. Helga just rolled her eyes and gestured for Arnold to follow her. He did so, obediently, after waving at their classmates.

They walked in silence for a while until they were out on the street. "I think Sid is starting to like you…" Arnold mumbled, observing Helga for her reaction.

"Thank you, captain Obvious. I'll tell you when I need to be reminded that I'm a mammal." Helga joked and bumped her shoulder against his. "Boys like Sid tend to like me for a bit because they like the challenge they see when they look in my eyes. He'll get over it soon enough when he realizes he's not getting anywhere with me."

"You don't know Sid like I do; he's stubborn."

"Well, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"How doesn't it matter?" Arnold asked in disbelief. He knew Helga was still unsure about her feelings for him, but surely it mattered if someone else liked her as well?

Helga smirked at him, stopped walking and leaned down to his eyelevel. "I have _zero_ interest in him, Football Head. You have all of it." She said and nuzzled her nose against his. He blushed furiously as he watched her continue her walk towards their house. With a few words she could make him so unbelievably happy. It was almost scary.

Arnold quickly caught up with Helga and looked down at her hand. God, what he wouldn't give to take it and just walk with her hand-in-hand out on the streets… but there was a difference between a brief touch among their noses and having their fingers tangled on the way home. The latter was much riskier if they got caught; they couldn't possibly explain that if someone who knew them saw them like that. He decided to forget that thought and try to engage a conversation with her.

"Oh, shit!" Helga suddenly exclaimed, which caused Arnold to jolt at the loud sound. "Phoebe said she wanted to talk to me about something after school. She's waiting for me in the yard."

"Oh, you gotta hurry back then."

"Yeah, she's probably still there. Sorry, Arnold. I'll see you at home later, ok?" Helga said and started walking backwards. He nodded at her and waved before she did the same and then she took off like a bullet down the street. He thought she should really consider joining the track team; she had the stamina and the speed for it, but he had a feeling she didn't have much of an interest in competing in a sport. It'd probably feel like walking down the same path as her sister.

* * *

><p>"So, Phoebs." Helga said before jumping onto said girl's bed and then turned to look at her. "What did you want to talk about?"<p>

Phoebe seemed uncharacteristically shy as she sat down at the end of her own bed near Helga's feet. The blonde girl said up straight, waiting for her best friend to talk. "Um…" Phoebe mumbled. "What do you, uh… You've known our classmates for a bit longer than I have so I guess I was just wondering… what you think of them?"

Helga quirked an eyebrow. _That's an odd question_. She thought. "Uh, depends on who you want to know about specifically. I've got different opinions about them all."

"Um… I know what you think about people like Rhonda, Lila, Sid, Arnold - - "

"Is this actually about me?" Helga asked with a smirk on her face.

"No… No. I'm, uh…"

"Stalling for time?"

"… You know me too well." Phoebe admitted.

Helga snickered as she moved to sit next to the shorter girl. "Indeed I do. So… who is it you _really_ want my opinion about?" she asked curiously.

"Um… what's your opinion about… Gerald…?" Phoebe asked as she turned her face away from her friend. Said blonde friend blinked a couple of times in surprise.

Then she smirked knowingly. "Ooh, has Gerald been making the moves on you since Rhonda's party?" she asked, but Phoebe didn't answer; not that she had expected her to. "I guess he has, huh? Man, we are quite the four-leaf-clover, aren't we?"

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked and finally looked at the blonde.

"You've got something going on with Gerald who is the best friend of my stepbrother who happens to be the boy I've got something going on with. Wanna double-date?" Helga joked and laughed.

Phoebe laughed herself though in a shyer manner. "So… it doesn't feel weird to you that I, uh… kinda like him a little bit?"

"Be my guest. But, Phoebe, I gotta warn you… Gerald seem kinda like a ladies' man. Though I could always ask Arnold if he knows anything?" Helga suggested, but before Phoebe could answer she had already pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Wait. Are you asking Arnold _now_?! I-I'm not sure about this - - "

Helga hushed her. "It's ringing." She told her and waited for a bit. After a couple of rings, she frowned. "Sheesh. Usually doesn't take him this long to - - "

"H-Hello, Helga? Uh, w-what is it?"

Helga turned to look at Phoebe who was staring back at her with just as much of a blank expression. "Uh, you ok, bro?" Helga asked, noticing the heavy way Arnold was breathing.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah. I was just, uh, napping when you called and the phone scared me." Arnold panted. Helga knitted her eyebrows together and looked questioningly at Phoebe who simply shrugged. "Helga, what did you want?"

"Oh! Uh, I was wondering something; do you know if Gerald likes Phoebe?"

"That's too blunt!" Phoebe whispered in shock.

Helga quickly covered her phone with her hand. "_Blunt_ is the only language Arnold gets. He's too dense to take a hint." She whispered back and put her phone to her ear.

"Is… Is that what Phoebe wanted to talk to you about?" Arnold asked and Phoebe shot Helga a bit of a dirty look. The blonde simply shrugged innocently though. "Well, you can tell her not to worry… Gerald really likes Phoebe so… if she's thinking of asking him out, I can only encourage it."

Phoebe was beaming at Arnold's answer. "Well then." Helga said with a wide grin on her face. "Seems like our besties will soon be dating." She finished and started laughing. Phoebe tried to shoosh Helga, but it was in vain.

The girls heard Arnold laugh halfheartedly on the other side of the line. "I'm looking forward to see that." He said. "Uh… if there was nothing else, Helga, do you mind if I get back to my nap?"

"Sure… go back to your _nap_." Helga said before hanging up. She looked suspiciously at Phoebe. "That wasn't the voice of someone who was sleeping, was it?"

Phoebe shook her head shyly. "I would say that it sounded more as if we interrupted his…" she coughed. "_alone time_."

"Well, son of a bitch." Helga said and shoved her phone back into her pocket before lying down on the bed. "I guess I have given him some, uh… images that might encourage that."

"Images? Helga, what have you done?" Phoebe asked with a bit of a curious smile though it was plenty innocent.

The blonde smirked. "Oh, nothing big, really. I've, uh… Let's just say my hand isn't virgin anymore."

"Your hand…" Phoebe mumbled and processed the information for a moment and then bit on her lower lip. "How does it feel?" she asked almost in a whisper.

"Phoebe!" Helga shrieked in surprise and started laughing.

"I-I'm just curious!"

"Hey, I'm not blaming you." The blonde insisted. "How it feels, you ask… Warmer than I thought. Like, physically hotter. I guess it was harder than I expected to, but honestly, the memory is a bit of a blur. Everything was so… _heated_." She continued and bit on her lower lip. After a short moment of silence she stood up. "You know what? I'm in the mood to interrupt Arnold in his _alone time_."

"Oh, Helga…" Phoebe said in a snicker as the blonde walked towards the door. "That's so mean." She finished and Helga turned to shoot her a slanted look. Phoebe sighed. "Of course. What was I thinking?"

* * *

><p>Helga did her best to greet Miles and Miriam quietly once she reached her house. She had run all the way, working purely on the energizing thought of what Arnold was doing, hopefully with her picture in mind. She was out of breath once she walked into her home, but Miles and Miriam were too busy to notice. They were looking through some papers and Helga didn't care what they were for so she simple jogged up the stairs.<p>

Before heading into Arnold's room though, Helga went into her own. In public, she wore her usual hooded sweatshirts, but she preferred something less hot when she was at home – even if the weather was cold outside. She threw her sweatshirt off and grabbed the taffy pink tank top she had lying on her bed. She quickly pulled it over her head and then walked to Arnold's room. She leaned her ear against the door and verified that he was indeed still in there… and if she was right in her assumption from before, he hadn't finished yet.

Helga lifted her hand to knock, but then rolled her eyes. She wasn't a polite girl and Arnold knew that; besides, it'd be funnier if he didn't know what was coming. She grabbed the door handle and walked inside just in time to see Arnold fall off his bed and out of her sight.

"Helga!" Arnold screamed and showed his face behind the bed.

"Napping, huh?" Helga asked in incredulity as she noticed Arnold grabbing his pants, which were by the end of the bed. She closed the door behind her, locking it as he got dressed; that's what it looked like at least even though all she could see was a pair of feet going through the pants.

"I-I, uh… I was, um… I was napping before…" Arnold insisted and appeared from behind the bed. He put his arms on the bed, trying to look casual, but his cheeks were flushed and his hair was tussled.

"Kinda a restless sleep with the way you're looking. What were you dreaming about, Football Head?" Helga asked as she walked towards him, like a lioness cornering its prey.

"N-Nothing." Arnold insisted and looked away.

"Uh-huh. I'll believe that when that boner of yours goes away." Helga said after she sat on his bed and was now literally looking down at him. He was cowering under her sight, but he didn't move away. "You weren't really napping when I called, were you?"

Arnold looked away in mortification. "I… woke up about a minute before you called."

"Uh-huh. So were you dreaming something?"

Arnold still refused to look at her even as he nodded. "About… About what happened last night… though I guess my imagination decided to add a few things and when I woke up, I was already, uh…" he whispered, but then held his tongue.

"Added a few things. Interesting… So you were doing the dirty deed all by yourself?" Helga asked and bit on her lower lip seductively. She heard him gulp in shame and she chuckled lowly. "Oh, Arnold…" she said in an ethereal voice and grabbed him by his collar, yanking him up to her eyelevel. "Why would you do something so amazing by yourself?"

Arnold gulped audibly at the intense way Helga was looking at him even through half-lidded eyes. "You… weren't here…" he answered truthfully despite his cheeks being painted in such a red color even tomatoes would be jealous.

Helga giggled at the hidden compliment. "I guess that's true," She said before encouraging him to sit up on the bed with her. "but I'm here now." She reminded him before her lips met his. He sat on his knees in front of her, his hands going to her arms a little shyly. He could feel one of her arms move and surely enough, he soon felt the pressure from her hand on his still hardened flesh.

"Helga…" Arnold moaned and moved his mouth away from hers, biting down on his lip as he automatically bucked against her hand.

"Seems like me coming in here didn't exactly help you relax…"

"Well, you're… you're kinda the problem to begin with so - - " Arnold defended, but cut his sentence short when Helga grabbed his hair and pulled his head backwards until his neck was exposed to her.

"My fault…?" Helga questioned before licking his throat hungrily, eliciting another groan from him. "I guess so…" she admitted before letting completely go of him. He tilted his head forward to look at her just in time for her to grab at his neck and push him down on the bed face first. He shrieked in surprise, but went quiet when he felt her sit on the back of thighs. He could feel her breathing into his ear and he had to hold back a moan. "How about we play a game again today?"

_Oh, no…_ Arnold thought, remembering the slight pain from yesterday's _game_, but his curiosity was greater than his anxiety. "What… W-What kind of game?" he asked, moving his head to the side to look at her.

Helga leaned to the side to be able to look at him. "I'm smiling." She told him before licking his cheek. "That alone should scare you."

_Oh, God_. Arnold thought as he felt Helga move away. He watched her crawling towards his nightstand and she pulled out a package with cards in the drawer. "Cards?"

"You choose the game and I'll add some new rules to it." Helga suggested as she waved the box of cards in her hand.

Arnold looked at her suspiciously. "Is it good to win or lose in those rules of yours?" he asked, but she simply shrugged. _She's clearly not going to tell me what she has in mind until I've chosen a game…_ He thought and considered his options for a bit. Then he smiled confidently at her. "_Go fish_."

"_Go fish_?" Helga repeated in surprise, but then shrugged before sitting in front of Arnold. "Well then, we both know the original rules, but in my version, the game will be a hell of a lot shorter. Now… how many pieces of clothing are you wearing?"

"Huh?" Arnold muttered in surprise, but then thought for a second. "Um… five, I guess. Shirt, pants, a pair of socks - - "

"And your underwear." Helga stated casually, which Arnold simply nodded at. "Hmm…" she muttered thoughtfully and looked down at herself. "I'm wearing six…" she stated pensively before swinging her left leg in front of herself and grabbing her knee-high black stocking under her pants.

"What are you doing?" Arnold asked curiously before Helga threw her sock away somewhere at the far end of the bed.

"Now we're equal. It wouldn't be fair if one of us wore more clothes than the other, would it?" Helga pointed out and winked in Arnold's direction when he realized what she was getting at. _Oh, God. This is a strip game, isn't it?_ He thought just before she explained the very simple change in the rules. "Whenever you're told to _go fish_, you'll have to remove a piece of clothing."

"That'll be a really short game then!"

"You chicken?"

Arnold frowned at Helga's comment. "No, I'm actually pretty good at this game, that's why I chose it." He told her confidently.

Helga quirked an eyebrow at that statement and smirked. "Uh-huh."

"But…" Arnold said and looked towards his door. "What if our parents decide to check on us?"

"They almost never do that, Arnold, why would they? They won't be here until dinner is ready and since they are buried in a pile of papers they need for the wedding, it'll probably be a while. I also already locked the door just in case."

"Papers? What papers?"

"Don't know, don't care. You ready to play?"

"Uh… can I add a rule?" Arnold asked a little shyly as he grabbed the cards and started handing them out to the both of them.

"Depends on the rule." Helga replied curiously before grabbing the cards she had just been dealt.

"Whenever one of us has a full rank… we'll get to ask the other one a question." Arnold explained hopefully.

Helga didn't seem too keen on the idea for a moment, but then she seemed onboard all of a sudden. "You'd better be right about you being good at this game, Arnold, because I already have quite a couple of questions for you in mind." She said assertively.

Arnold simply smirked as he eyed his cards. "Right back at you." He answered and let their eyes meet for a moment. "Do you want to start?"

"Sure. Got any threes?" Helga asked, but Arnold smirked and he shook his head. "Bad start." She muttered before removing her last sock and sitting back on her knees right after. "Your turn."

"Got any fives?"

"Damn." Helga said and gave him the two fives she had. When he had them in his hand, he showed two other fives and put them down in a small pile. "Son of a bitch, you lucky bastard…" she said as if she was disappointed, but then smirked. "Well, fine. What's your question?"

"Have you ever dated anyone?"

Helga looked at him in surprise. "You sure you want to know?"

"Yes." He answered resolutely even though he feared her answer.

"Well, you can rest at peace, Football Head. I haven't dated anyone. I haven't been physical with anyone either." Helga answered and couldn't help but smile at how happy that obviously made her stepbrother. "Got any twos?"

Arnold frowned at that and gave her the three twos he had. "Ok, what's your question going to be?" he asked nervously.

Helga quickly piled the fours she now had in a pile and hummed thoughtfully. "Oh, yeah. Have you dreamt about me _before_ today?"

Arnold jolted, but sighed to calm himself down. "Y-Yes." He admitted.

"What about?"

"That's _two_ questions."

"Oh, come on, Arnold - - "

"No way." Arnold insisted stubbornly, but smiled at the cute pout on her face. It meant she didn't hate this fact at least.

The game continued for a bit; both blondes giving and receiving a few cards. Arnold had lost both his socks at this point, but neither had gotten a full rank. Not until Helga asked Arnold if he had any sevens.

"Damn it." Helga cursed after Arnold had said no. She lied down on the mattress and started pulling her jeans down her hips. She lifted her waist to pull them down easier though the fact that she was making a small show for Arnold in the process didn't go unnoticed by either blonde. She put her pants over by her socks and looked back at her brother challengingly. "Your turn."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, um…" Arnold said and eyed his cards. He had quite a few at this point and couldn't remember what he had asked for before. "Uh, you got any eights?"

"Arnold, you got my one eight a minute ago." Helga reminded him in a snicker.

"Damn, can I redo that?"

"Nu-uh. _Go fish_." Helga said and bit on her lower lip, smirking triumphantly as Arnold unbuttoned his shirt. He put it down gently next to his socks and forced himself to look away from Helga's legs.

The blonde boy was starting to truly realize that they were stripping in front of each other… and he _really_ wanted to win so he could finally see Helga properly. Also… it would be so unfair if she got to see him like this again already when he hadn't even seen her yet.

"Hey, wanna change the rules a bit?" Helga asked with that mischievous look in her eyes.

Arnold gulped. "How?"

"Instead of answering a question… the one who has earned a pile can choose whether to do have the other answer a question or kiss the loser on a place they choose. You know, if I get the next pile I can kiss you wherever I'd like."

Arnold widened his eyes at that very tempting suggestion. He quickly eyed his cards before nodding in agreement. "Your turn."

"Got any tens?"

Arnold couldn't help but smirk as he shook his head. "Nope… _go fish_."

"Damn." Helga said sarcastically before putting her cards down. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, but then moved her hands backwards and started fuddling with something behind her back.

"What are you doing?"

"Removing a piece of clothing." Helga replied casually before moving her hands to her shoulders. She pulled down her bra straps under her tank top and before Arnold knew what was happening, her bra was right in front of his face. She put it next to her other pieces of clothes and crossed her arms, which made it that much more obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra anymore.

"That's… That's cheating, isn't it?" Arnold asked, but he simply looked back at his cards, forcing his eyes away from Helga's breasts. Now that he bra was off, he could see her natural shape more clearly. It made his blood boil to imagine what it'd be like to touch them like this. "Got… Got any, uh, ones?"

Helga sighed dramatically and showed him her one card with the number on it. He grabbed it meekly and connected them with his other cards. He put them down shyly, showing her he had a full rank of ones now.

"Sheesh… Oh, well." Helga said with a smile and readjusted her position so she was sitting on her knees. "Want to ask me a question or do you want to kiss me?"

"Kiss."

"Boy, you didn't even have to think about that, did you?" Helga stated in a snicker. The laugh faded when she saw how serious he was. She smiled though. "Just to make it more interesting…" she said and closed her eyes. "Now you have the element of surprise."

_Surprise…_ Arnold thought, feeling his cheeks heat up at the way Helga was just sitting there, waiting for him to kiss her. He climbed towards her on all fours and eyed her naked legs and arms and her still clad torso. If Helga had taken her tank top off before rather than her bra, he would have wanted to kiss the top of her breasts… but right then he wanted to surprise her, do something not even he would expect of himself.

Helga gasped when she felt a pair of warm and moist lips on her inner thigh; she hadn't even realized she had made enough room between her legs to make that possible. She opened her eyes, though only halfway, and looked down at Arnold who most of all resembled a naughty puppy with the way he was looking at her.

"That was… unexpected." Helga panted. Arnold gulped before moving up to her eyelevel; his hand went through her hair before he kissed her tenderly. She put her hand atop of his and pulled back. "That's cheating." She told him, but kissed him back, her tongue grazing his lips for a long moment.

"I really want you out of your top…" Arnold admitted against her lips and looked at her.

Her eyes were clouded with lust, but she held her ground. "Then I guess you're gonna have to win, huh?" she teased and pushed him gently. He sat back obediently, his eyes never leaving hers until they both looked at their cards.

It took Helga a while before she realized it was her turn. "Got any sixes?" she asked, momentarily wondering if that was the correct way of saying it. She wasn't really sure anymore and she didn't truly care.

Arnold shook his head and eyed Helga expectantly. "_Go fish_." He told her. Her eyes looked deeply into his as she put her cards down and her hands went to the hem of her tank top. She pulled it upwards, agonizingly slowly in Arnold's opinion, and finally revealed her naked form to him; well, _mostly_ naked.

_God, she's beautiful…_ Was all Arnold's mind could comprehend when Helga put her hands on her thighs, almost shyly.

She grabbed her cards and bit on her lower lip as she looked through them. "It's your turn, Arnold."

Arnold didn't hear her at first, but then looked down at his cards. "Got any, uh… twelves?" he asked, his eyes keep going up to look at Helga rather than at his cards. _Do I even have any twelves?_ He wondered, but didn't bother to check.

Helga shook her head. "_Go fish_." She told him and put her cards down. Arnold barely got to put his own down before she had already grabbed his pants and was pulling them down roughly. Once they were off she moved over him to put them with his other pile of clothes, deliberately letting her breasts touch his chest in the process.

The boy gulped. "That's… against the rules… I think."

"Fuck the rules." Helga hissed in a heavy voice that made a pearl of sweat run down Arnold's temple. She moved to his cheek and licked the sweat off and he went towards her neck, but she put a hand to his head to stop him. "No, no… I said fuck the rules, but I'm still going to win this… fair and square." She whispered and bit down on his lower lip. "And then… I'll _fuck_ your brains out."

Arnold didn't even have it in him to gulp at Helga's words. His mind was so clouded and so infatuated with everything she said and did. Her scent, her voice, her skin; everything was just another ingredient to a recipe that was sure to make him go crazy. He tried kissing her one more time, but she moved back to grab her cards; she didn't sit as far away from him as before though. He could reach out and touch her if he wanted to.

"Nines?" Helga asked and licked her lips expectantly.

Arnold looked at his cards, but he couldn't remember what he was supposed to look for anymore. "Uh… nines?" he questioned when he remembered. She nodded in confirmation. "Uh… h-here." He told her and gave her two nines.

She put her own two nines down on the bed and crawled towards him. "Close your eyes." She ordered, but he didn't get the chance before she had already put her hand over his face, successfully making him blind to the world. He made a loud and feral groan when she kissed his nipple, sucking on the nub until it got hard against her teeth. He had never imagined he would like such a thing, but it sent shivers down his spine and his boxers, which were actually rather loose, felt tight around his waist due to his stiffening length.

"I win." Helga said all of a sudden.

"H-How so?" Arnold asked even though he couldn't care less.

"I can see your cards; you have that last eleven I need. That means you're gonna lose these." The girl explained briefly and started pulling at the boy's boxer shorts. The boy was usually one who would have complained about losing, especially since it seemed rather unfair, but he really couldn't care less. In the end, _this_ was winning in his opinion.

Arnold grabbed Helga by her southern cheeks and lifted her upwards until she was sitting on his lap with her thighs around him. He kissed her at the valley of her breasts before letting his tongue fall down to her nipple and licking it ravenously. When she gasped in pleasure, he enveloped the nipple entirely, pulling her closer to him by her back. He could feel her abdomen buck against his chest and his mouth moved down to her navel, circling it with his tongue before kissing her waistline.

"Fuck, just take them off already!" Helga ordered and pushed Arnold's hand down to her panties. He barely got his hands into them before a knock on the door pulled them out of their own little world.

"Helga, you're in there with Arnold, aren't you?" Miles asked outside the door, completely unaware of the state his son and stepdaughter was in. "You sure are quiet. What are you doing?"

All Arnold could see was Helga's pearly white skin in front of his eyes and he didn't have it in him to move at all even when she spoke. "Y-Yes, I'm here." Helga said with a small stutter, quickly forcing the pant in her voice away. "We're playing… _Silent Sniper_."

Arnold looked up at Helga with as much of a questioning gaze as he could muster. She shrugged; she wasn't really sure what kind of game _Silent Sniper_ was supposed to be.

"Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you two then, but, uh, we kind of need your opinion about something for the wedding. Is the game something you can pause?"

Almost all of Helga's body sank down until she was sitting on Arnold's lap, which caused him to make quite a loud moan. Both blondes reacted on instinct and one of their hands went to his mouth, both of them covering it as if that could somehow bring back the sound.

"Am I that unpopular?" Miles asked jokingly, having obviously interpreted Arnold's moan as a groan of reluctance.

"_Yes_." Helga hissed to Miles' question and Arnold nodded, his hand tightening over hers which was still covering his mouth. "We can technically pause the game, Miles. It's just, uh… are you sure you and Miriam shouldn't be deciding these things yourselves?"

"Oh, but Miriam insisted, Helga. It's not just our wedding after all; the four of us are going to become a family so she wants to include the two of you as much as possible."

"That bitch." Helga muttered, which Arnold frowned at due to her language, but he also laughed internally since a part of him agreed with her. "Ok then… we'll be done in two minutes, ok? We just need to… kill the president."

Miles was quiet for a moment before making a comment about how politically incorrect games were today. "Hurry up, you two. Miriam is making us some tea." He finished before walking away.

Helga slumped even further, letting her hand fall down to Arnold's shoulder. "Tea… The woman is making tea… That means she expects us to stay down there for a while." She muttered. Arnold simply sighed, ignoring the obviously pained pleasure he was feeling from just having Helga on his lap. She looked up at him though. "That's painful, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"You can't go down there like this." Helga said with a smirk and kissed his lips. "It's not what we were planning, but… I kinda wanna try this too."

Arnold wanted to ask her what _that_ was, but when she pushed herself back on the bed and pulled him by his waist until he was lying down, he realized what she was doing. She pulled his boxers down roughly until his hardness was fully revealed and then the heat and wetness of her mouth surrounded him. His gasp was cut off by her hand covering his mouth and she bopped fiercely above his waist. His hand went to hers, helping her to keep him quiet.

To their luck, Arnold had already been hard for so long it took Helga fifteen seconds to make him cum. The place where Arnold had held her hand was red from his tight grip and she felt sore around her fingers, but she didn't care; that reaction, this whole thing had been so satisfying in its own way even though they were so rudely disturbed. To avoid the mess as she had planned, she leaned back up and swallowed the proof of what they had been doing.

Arnold was lying limply and exhausted on the bed, but Helga patted his shoulder to wake him up from his almost sleeping state. "You can't sleep now. You need to come with me downstairs and… play the good stepbrother." She said teasingly and moved towards her own clothes with her back turned to him.

Arnold sat up and watched her grab her bra. She was about to put it on when he moved towards her and grabbed the strings on the bra. She looked at him curiously over her shoulder as he placed them over her arms and helped her get the bra back on. Once the clasp was closed, he kissed her neck hungrily, earning a satisfied moan from her.

"That's cruel, Arnold…" Helga said and moved her hand into his hair. "We can't continue."

"What about you?" he asked and moved his hand over her still bare thigh. Despite his body feeling satisfied, his heart wasn't. He could practically smell her arousal and he wanted her to feel what she had just made him feel for the second time. He wanted to see her come undone by his hands and he wanted to touch her in places no one had ever touched her before.

"I'll manage. I kinda have to." Helga answered in a less than convincing voice. She kissed him in what had supposed to be a sweet way, but he devoured her tongue hungrily and one of his hands went to her breast to cup it. She gasped against his mouth and her plump backside grinded against his lap. "No, no, no, no… you're just making it worse." She insisted and finally moved away and faced him with a pair of eyes as if she was looking at a naughty child she couldn't help but still adore.

Arnold's head sunk in disappointment, but he also wondered why he was the one misbehaving at that moment. He was usually so reliable and responsible, but right then he had half the mind to go downstairs only to tell his parents that they were going to have to deal with the wedding planning themselves because he was going to make Helga keep her promise about fucking his brains out.

That's not how it went though; Once they were both fully dressed and looked like two people who hadn't just been about to have sex, Arnold and Helga went downstairs and played the parts of stepsiblings perfectly. They ignored every fiber of their being that didn't want to participate in their parents' plans and they went to bed dutifully that night. And if you asked either one of them, they would deny thinking about the other and touching themselves until they fell into a state of unfulfilled sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I need a very little bit of help with the next chapter; the class is going on a trip and while what is supposed to happen on the trip is already planned out, I really can't figure out a location xD Have you guys gone on trips with your classmates for just a couple of days? If so, where could you suggest that the gang should go? I kinda want a location for them to be at even if the location doesn't change the exact story xD I just need a town or a city or… a popular camping spot, whatever. But they have to be in a house of some sort, they aren't going to be sleeping in tents so I guess a camping spot really isn't an option xD Anyways! I hope some of you can suggest something :3**

**Oh, and on another completely different note… if anyone out there can draw, I have a small request… You remember the part where Helga grabs Arnold by his collar? Where he is sitting on his knees on the floor and she is hovering above him on the bed? If someone could draw that… I'd be a **_**very**_** happy fangirl OwO**


	13. Damn fleshly appetites

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After their homeroom teacher had once again reminded them of the trip the class was going on this weekend, Helga went home to Phoebe on her request. Phoebe wanted Helga's opinion about Gerald whom Phoebe had started to develop a crush on. Helga called Arnold to ask his advice, but realized she had caught him doing something no one wanted to be caught doing.**_

_**Helga took her chance and went to Arnold's room that afternoon. Things quickly got hot and heavy and if Miles hadn't interrupted them, to ask them to join them for some wedding planning, the two blondes might have gone all the way. But alas, it was not their time just yet.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I'm so sorry! Sheesh, this one took longer than forever -.- It's the same excuse as last time though: School, fainting spells, my chronic headache and another thing to add to the list: I had surgery done! Yeah, that was fun experiencing. I had a wisdom tooth that was lying horizontally under my gum so they spent 45 minutes drugging me with anesthetics seven times, cutting my gums open and drilling the fucking thing away. I almost choked on my own blood at one point – what fun! Dx Anyways! It also took a little longer because I wasn't sure how to end this chapter, but I finally made a decision xD So here you, definitely overdue – I hope you enjoy xD**

**Oh, and thank you to all of you for suggesting places they could go on their field trip. I took 106Eli's suggestion and had them go to Big Bear Valley. The cabin they're staying in is fictive though, there were no cabins that could hold enough people out of those cabins I googled xD**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13: "Damn fleshly appetites"<span>

Helga yawned for what felt like the fifth time and her classmates were starting to notice. "Helga, are you ok?" Phoebe asked worriedly who was sitting in the seat across from her blonde friend.

"Yeah… I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night…" the taller girl asked and looked to her left at Arnold who yawned as well.

"Why did neither one of you get enough sleep?" Gerald asked who sat next to Phoebe.

"Miles and Miriam insisted on going through the wedding plans with us." Arnold explained and looked across the hallway towards Sid, Stinky and Harold who were listening as well. "They forgot we had to get up early today to go to Big Bear Valley… and when they finally remembered, it was already 2am."

"Boy howdy! Why didn't you say anything?" Sid asked in surprise.

"_You_ try getting fiancés to think about anything else other than their wedding and ask me that again." Helga retorted just before her head fell forward. She whipped it back up and then used her hand to stretch her face. "Criminy, I'm gonna get Miriam for this when we get home…"

"Let's look at the bright side, Helga."

The blonde looked at her stepbrother in a lazy way. "What bright side?"

"We're going to California! To Big Bear Lake even; it's one of the most beautiful places in America."

"What good is that gonna do us if we're too tired to…" Helga started just before engaging in a long yawn. "… keep our eyes open?" she asked. Phoebe patted Helga's shoulder gently and the girl shot her a smile.

Arnold looked out of the window, watching as the landscape ran by outside the train. "I look forward to see it. I've always wanted to go. I heard it's really… beautiful…" he said, but nodded off in the middle of his sentence.

Helga shoved her elbow into his arm. "Enjoy the scenery, you big dope." She ordered before looking outside the window herself.

_I am_. Arnold thought as he looked at her, but forced himself to look out the window. _God… After what happened last night, it's all I can think about. Helga seems normal though… or maybe she's just a better actress. She's a better actor no matter what, but… oh, I don't even know what I'm thinking_.

Arnold let his head touch the glass as his eyes fluttered closed. He wanted to enjoy the trip to Big Bear as much as he wanted to experience Big Bear itself, but he was just too tired. The sound of his classmates chatting eventually faded into silence as he fell asleep. The last thing he felt was something bumping in his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Sleeping Beauties." A male voice said and Arnold felt something stab his shoulder.<p>

"Ow…" the blonde boy mumbled and forced his eyes to open even though the sudden light was blinding. He groaned before moving his head away from the excruciating sight, but was met with an entirely different sight.

The feeling of hair tickled Arnold's nose and when he moved backwards just a little bit, he noticed some weight on his shoulder. He looked down and saw Helga who was sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. His eyes barely managed to widen before he heard the soft click of a phone camera taking a picture.

"You two are so adorable!" Rhonda giggled maliciously and showed Nadine the picture she had just taken.

"Wait. What's going on?" Arnold asked, his eyes never leaving Helga's closed ones.

"You and Helga have been sleeping on top of each other since we left the station. I think a million pictures have been taken." Gerald said playfully and pushed at Arnold's shoulder.

_Crap_. Arnold thought and moved his hand to Helga's shoulder to wake her up. She stirred in her sleep and her eyes finally opened. She didn't fully open them though until she saw the grinning faces around her.

Helga sat up as if she had just been burned and looked at Arnold questioningly. "Why are they staring at me like that?"

"They're staring at _us_… We've been sleeping since we left Hillwood."

"So?"

"We've been sleeping on _each other_." Arnold said and could see that Helga was about to question that as well, but then went quiet when she realized what their classmates had just seen. He saw her mouth a quick apology before her face scrunched into one of disgust.

"Shit! Of all the people I could have fallen asleep on, did it have to be my own stepbrother?! Criminy!" Helga cursed and stood up, gesturing at Gerald to make him move. "Out of the way, Tall Hair Boy! It's dangerous sitting next to Arnold."

The African boy frowned at the insult against his best friend. "We woke you up because we need to get off anyway, _Pataki_. Don't get your panties in a knot." He said, but stood up anyway. He grabbed his suitcase in the room made for luggage above their seats and grabbed Phoebe's bag right after. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Phoebe said in a shy manner before grabbing her bag.

Helga rolled her eyes before grabbing Arnold's luggage and throwing it at him without warning. "Up and at 'em, bro. We've got a long walk ahead of us." She said as she fumbled around for her own bag.

Arnold sighed as he grabbed his bag, silently wondering if anyone else besides Rhonda had taken any pictures… he wanted to see them, have one himself if possible.

The gang descended the train and followed their teacher dutifully. They were all chatting and bantering and in general having a good time. The thing about Helga and Arnold sleeping on each other was already forgotten; their classmates knew they were just tired and it was only funny at the moment. That didn't mean Rhonda hadn't uploaded a few pictures on her Facebook though, tagging Arnold and Helga on it. In the comment, she had written: _"They are indeed siblings!"_

The joke quickly died though, especially after Helga had threatened Rhonda to break the neck on her phone if they didn't shut up. The raven-haired girl had cursed the blonde's name, but didn't delete the pictures. She had, on the contrary, sent them around to everyone else but Arnold and Helga, which the blondes quickly found out when Gerald showed the pictures to them. Helga didn't break Rhonda's phone, but she did push the girl, which caused snow to spread all over her new outfit, Rhonda claimed was made by Gucci.

"Calm down, all of you." The teacher said and pointed up at the hill. "This is where we're staying. Now, some of you are going to have single bedrooms, but others will have to bunk with someone in a double bed. You have to figure out who is going to do what on your own, but if you start fighting, I _will_ intervene. Remember, it's only for one night."

"I'm sleeping in the living room!" Sid shouted instantly to the surprise of everyone. "Oh, come on, guys! We're on a class trip! We should all sleep together so we can really bond." He added and wiggled his eyebrows in Helga's direction.

The girl visibly shivered jokingly, which earned a few laughs. "All jokes aside though, it might be fun to sleep on random spots in the living room." Helga said, which earned some nods from the others.

"You do whatever you want, kids. Just leave my room alone." The teacher told her laughing students.

Sid quickly caught up with Helga and showed her and the people around them a bottle he pulled out of his bag. "Who is up for getting wasted tonight?" he asked in a whisper to make sure the teacher didn't hear.

"You brought _rum_?" Arnold asked in shock, looking at the teacher to confirm she wasn't looking. "What are you gonna do if you get busted?"

"What's she gonna do, Arnold? Arrest him?" Helga asked jokingly and smirked at the sight of Captain Morgan on the bottle. "All she can do is take it from him and maybe tell his parents. I have a feeling Sid doesn't give two shits about that."

"So you're up for this?" Arnold asked in horror.

Helga shrugged. "I like rum."

"You're a rum girl?" Sid asked.

"I am more of a scotch girl, honestly, but rum is a close second."

Arnold frowned at the conversation between his stepsister and friend. "Uh, Helga? Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked and pulled gently at her arm. She followed him a few meters away from the others. "Are you sure you should be drinking?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Helga asked in confusion, but then a deep scowl spread on her face. "Oh, you better not be saying what I think you're saying… Is this because of Miriam? You think I'm gonna end up like her or something?"

"N-No! I just don't - - "

"I can't believe you!" Helga hissed before stomping back to the others, deliberately walking next to Sid to chat with him.

Arnold felt crushed. That was honestly not what he had meant. He knew Helga wasn't like her mom and she was entitled to do whatever she wanted. He just didn't like that smile Helga made when Sid showed her the bottle. Arnold joined Gerald who started chatting with him excitedly, but the blonde wasn't listening. How could he when all he could hear was Helga's angry voice inside his head?

It didn't take long before they were at the lodge and Arnold almost managed to forget his last exchange with Helga. "This place is amazing!" he bellowed as he observed the house which defined old world charm with all the amenities you'd want. He ran with his classmates up on the large deck and waited impatiently for the teacher to unlock the door. Once it was open, the gang ran in like wild animals, exploring every corner of the house.

The house was beautifully landscaped on a private wind protected spot of Big Bear Lake and was made of custom granite and tile. It had wooden floors and rusting wood. The master suite was gorgeous and had a panoramic view of the lake. The first thing Arnold noticed was the dramatic floor-to-ceiling native rock fireplace; it also seemed to be what Helga had noticed first since she was already sitting in front of it, starting to build a fire.

Arnold looked around; their classmates were gone so he took the opportunity to talk to Helga alone. He crouched next to her and she jolted when he touched her. "Sheesh, you scared me." She said and grabbed the lighter above the fireplace.

"Um… that thing before - - "

"Sorry." Helga interrupted as she waved the fire under the wood. Arnold blinked in surprise and waited for her to continue speaking. "I know that's not what you meant. After I cooled off I realized that so I'm apologizing. Don't make big thing out of it."

"I… I wanted to apologize too though."

"But I know I was the one who misunderstood."

"Yeah, but the reason I even said that was… was because I didn't like that you and Sid talked like that." Arnold admitted and Helga shot him an incredulous look. "You've been annoyed with him and pushing him away all this time and all of a sudden you become best buddies just because of some rum. I guess I got nervous."

Helga sighed, clearly annoyed with him, but she didn't admit it. "You really think I'd sell myself out for some rum? I'm not cheap and I'm not a pirate… Also, not even my mom would do that." She said and showed him a smile.

The blonde shot a quick look around, confirming everyone else were still everywhere else but here. Then she put the lighter back and touched his cheek. He smiled softly at her and put his hand atop of hers. As soon as he did though, she whipped her hand away, giving him somewhat of a frightened look.

"Sorry…" she whispered. "I just remembered what happened last night."

Arnold's eyes widened as he watched a very small blush spread on Helga's cheeks; it was so small he'd have to be really close to see it. She stood up and dusted her knees off, clearly trying to act casual. She told him they should find the others, but the blonde boy wasn't listening. As soon as her back was turned to him, he stood up and touched her shoulders. She froze, shivering under his touch as his fingers ran down her arms.

"You're just making it worse for the both of us, bucko…" Helga reminded him.

Arnold sighed. "This is torture…"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure this was a torture method they used back in the dark ages. Perhaps I should consider throwing some leeches down your codpiece?" She joked before stepping away and turning to look at him. Arnold frowned, wondering what a codpiece was, but he never got the chance to ask. "We need to hold back as long as we're here…"

"We?"

"Hey, I'm holding back too, you know." The blonde said and swayed her hips gently. "I was the one who wanted to fuck your brains out."

The joyous laughter of their peers cut the conversation short when the re-entered the living room. The blondes looked at each other for a moment before their attention was forcefully drawn to their classmates. While the girls started talking about who should be sleeping where and if the living-room thing was even something to consider, the boys chatted about going out fishing. In the end, the boys and girls divided and so did the blonde stepsiblings.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until it was almost sunset that the boys came back from their fishing trip to find the girls watching the horizon on the deck.<p>

"Hey, catch anything?" Nadine asked when she noticed the boys. The boys shook their heads though.

"Nah, but we weren't really trying anyway." Harold insisted before throwing his homemade fishing rod on the deck and looking at the girls. "Are you watching the sunset? That is _so_ girly. I'm disappointed in you, Helga."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "I happen to enjoy a pretty sunset once in a while… and they don't look like this back home." She defended and turned her sight back to the setting sun, which was dappling the sky in shades of gold and crimson.

Arnold pretended to look at the sunset, but what truly caught his eyes was the blonde girl watching it. She was always pretty in his opinion; in her own tomboyish, crude kind of way, but standing in front of something so soft and beautiful which was in complete contrast to her messy hair and the ripped, much too large black dress shirt she was wearing, made her look like a gem among stones.

Arnold stood next to Helga and watched the sunset, listening as the other boys eventually joined the girls as well. "Remember the last time you and I watched a sunset?" he asked in a low voice and looked at the others, confirming no one was listening.

"Yeah, just before we all moved in together…" Helga replied somewhat dreamily, her blue eyes shining in the light.

"It's weird. It's the same sun, but…"

"It's completely different, right?" Helga asked and turned her head to look at Arnold who looked back. There was a content, ethereal silence between them that was only interrupted when Rhonda suddenly shrieked happily.

"Hey, anyone up for some karaoke?"

"Karaoke?" Helga questioned in surprise and looked at the ravenette. "_You_ like karaoke?"

"No, she likes showing off." Nadine teased and rubbed her elbow against Rhonda's arm.

The black-haired girl huffed and flipped her hair. "It's a fun activity, _Helga_, but I don't expect a girl like you to find it all that amusing. Singing is, after all, an art and, uh… despite your _poetry_, you're not a very artsy person."

"Helga can sing, Rhonda." Arnold said, hiding the hiss in his voice. The others looked at him in shock and so did Helga.

"Helga can sing?" Sid asked in semi-surprise, but mostly he looked impressed.

"Yeah, I mean…" Arnold said and remembered Helga didn't want people to know about her playing the guitar. "I've overheard her singing in her room and trust me, she can sing." He explained with a smile, but it disappeared when he saw the hateful stare he got from Helga, which the others couldn't see since she was standing with her back turned to them.

"Really?" Rhonda questioned and crossed her arms. "Color me dubious."

"Oh, come on, Helga! Now you gotta sing!" Lila said enthusiastically and bounced happily. The blonde shot her a dirty look, but the redhead didn't notice or maybe she didn't care.

Lila hadn't changed since Rhonda's party, but she had obviously given up on Arnold and after the whole incident died down, she seemed to have more interest in Helga than she ever was in Arnold. What kind of interest, Helga didn't want to know.

"I'm not a performer." Helga insisted and looked back at the sunset, only after shooting Arnold another deathly glare.

"Oh, don't worry, Helga. No one expects you to be good or anything." Rhonda said with a smirk.

The blonde looked at Rhonda, feeling her competitive side boil inside her. She smirked. "Fine. You've convinced me. I'll sing for you." She said, fully enjoying the look of pure shock on the raven-haired girl's face; she obviously hadn't expected Helga to accept the challenge.

"Awesome! Then I'll pull out the booze and we can get this party started!" Sid bellowed happily and ran straight into the living room.

"Quiet, Sid! Our teacher - - "

"Oh, relax, Arnold. She's already in bed." Sid yelled from the living room. "As long as we don't knock on her door, she won't wake up. She's a heavy sleeper."

"How does Sid know about her sleeping habits?" Arnold asked Gerald as they walked inside.

"You really wanna know?" Gerald asked as he wiggled his eyebrows. Arnold frowned instantly and shook his head violently. No, he _definitely_ didn't want to know; not when Gerald was making that face.

"Well, go ahead and choose, Helga." Rhonda said as she threw a cover at Helga, obviously not expecting her to be able to catch it as elegantly as she did.

Helga eyed the songs and quirked an eyebrow at a familiar one. "I didn't think this was popular enough to be on a karaoke list…" she muttered to herself and smiled to herself, which Arnold noticed. "Well, this is an easy choice."

"Which one?" Rhonda asked and looked at the song Helga pointed at. She huffed. "_This_? This doesn't seem like your style." She stated as she grabbed the cover and started playing with the TV.

"A lot of things aren't my style; like fitting the box inside your head."

Rhonda shot Helga a dirty look at the comment, but didn't say anything. The gang all sat down around the TV, getting comfortable. Some were obviously hoping Arnold was wrong and Helga would sound awful while others were looking forward to be proven wrong.

"Ok, I got the rum! Want a glass before you sing, Helga?" Sid asked and poured a glass before handing it to her.

The blonde grabbed it and drank it all in one go, to the obvious admiration of the other boys. Sid blinked before offering her another glass with a dirty smirk on his face, but she simply smirked as well before pushing the glass back at him. He laughed boyishly before sitting down between the boys.

"This is gonna be fun." Rhonda whispered in Nadine's ear, deliberately loud enough for Helga to hear her.

The blonde smirked to herself. _Agreed, Rhonda…_ she thought and played with the remote on the screen. "Short version, thank you."

The others complained, some sarcastically, but Helga ignored them and bopped her head when the music started. She quickly scanned the lyrics, noticing that the short version wasn't just a short version as much as it just left the chorus by the end and didn't repeat it even once. The song started low and in a semi-slow beat so Helga just moved to the others, holding the mic in her hand and in general avoiding eye contact as she began to sing.

"_Here comes the breath before we get a little bit closer… Here comes the rush before we touch. Come a little closer…_" Helga sang slowly, almost beautifully and Arnold felt mesmerized from the beginning. He didn't know the song, but he couldn't help but grin while he listened to her. "_The doors are open, the wind is really blowing. The night sky is changing overhead_."

Helga started smiling as the beat of the song picked up. She shot a quick look in Arnold's direction, confirming that the others were basically looking at each other rather than her, to show the others their surprise. None had expected Helga to be that good so when she shot a wink in Arnold's direction, no one was even looking at her.

"_All you think of lately is getting underneath me… All I dream of lately is how to get you underneath me_." Helga sang somewhat sensually, but held the urge down. She didn't want to risk someone considering she might be thinking of someone special while singing that.

Arnold, on the other hand, had a hard time ignoring what Helga had just sung. He blushed involuntarily and counted his blessings that the lamps were dimmed or else someone might have noticed. The lyrics seemed to hit pretty close to how he had been feeling since yesterday in particular and he was a little ashamed of it, honestly. He never thought he'd want a girl this much and knowing she felt the same way – which was a foreign feeling to him – just made it all the worse… or better, depending on how you looked at it.

"_Here comes the heat before we meet a little bit closer… Here comes the spark before the dark. Come a little closer. The lights are off and the sun is finally setting_." Helga sang and pointed at the sky dramatically."_The night sky is changing overhead_."

Helga's dramatic motion caused a few laughs, but they went quiet again almost instantly as she continued to sing. Rhonda's sour face, which had been painted on ever since she realized Helga could in fact sing, was starting to fade and she was moving along to the beat of the music. The teenagers were all in all starting to have a party of their own while Helga was singing for them.

"_It's not just all physical. I'm the type who won't get oh-so critical. So let's make things physical. I won't treat you like you're oh-so typical. I want you close. I want you. I won't treat you like you're typical_." Helga sang with more power in her voice, earning some whistles from her audience, especially due to the suggestiveness in her words. "_All I want to get is… a little bit closer… All I want to know is… can you come a little closer_?"

And then the song ended and Helga smiled as she was applauded. She curtsied sarcastically before throwing the mic away casually and sitting down on the floor. "Ok. Who is next?" She asked before anyone could compliment her on her singing.

Rhonda was quick to take over the mic, but Arnold leaned closer to Helga rather than listening to the black-haired girl. "I really liked that." He whispered.

Helga leaned closer without looking at him to try and gain the least attention to them. "My singing or the lyrics?" she asked with a knowing smile on her face.

Arnold smirked boyishly. "Both."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before the teenagers were sharing the bottle of rum generously with each other. Some of the girls had bought soda for the trip and were sharing that as well for those who didn't want to drink the rum directly, which was a great amount. Sid was quick to find his seat next to Helga and the drunker he got, the more touchy he got as well. He flirted and complimented her in a slurry voice and when she continued ignoring him, he tried touching her thigh, which earned him a semi-sprained wrist that just made him laugh.<p>

Despite Helga's efforts then the more Arnold watched Sid flirt with her, the madder he got. He considered telling Sid to leave her alone, push him away and even finishing Helga's job and break his wrist, but he couldn't do that. He was just her stepbrother; why should he care? Since he couldn't hit Sid, he decided to hit the bottle instead, something he would usually never do. He didn't even like rum, but the more he drank, the happier he got by the thought that his breath smelled like Helga's.

"Could someone take over this drunken fool?!" Helga asked in pure frustration before pushing Sid so hard he fell backwards.

"Drink with me, buddy!" Harold said before hiccupping and grabbing Sid. Sid quickly forgot about Helga and joined his friend in a drinking game only the two of them knew the rules for.

Helga shook her head at the sight of the silly boys and turned her eyes towards a different boy. "Is he ok?" she asked Gerald before sipping from her glass.

Gerald looked at Arnold next to him, who was humming a melody to himself Gerald didn't know. All in all, he resembled the boy from _The Boxtrolls_ when he hummed like that.

Gerald shrugged. "He's always been a lightweight. What's he humming anyway?"

"Why should I know?" Helga asked with a shrug. _Maybe because I'm the one who wrote that melody…_ She thought. "Want me to take over the babysitting?" she asked after Arnold had fallen face first on the coffee table.

Gerald groaned. "Yes please!" he begged and pulled Arnold up from the table. "Dude, where's Helga?"

Helga chuckled before calling Arnold's name and he looked at her. "Come here, boy." She said as if talking to a dog.

Arnold grinned drunkenly as he crawled towards her across the low coffee table. She quickly held her hands out to grab him before he plumbed down next to her on the floor. His face eventually landed on the crook of her neck as if his oblong head was too heavy to carry anymore.

"Is he always this… affectionate when he's drunk?"

"Arnold doesn't usually drink this much so I wouldn't know, but I guess it makes sense for him to be that kind of drunk." Gerald answered before looking towards Phoebe across the room. "Um… Helga, do you mind if I, uh - - "

"Go hit on my best friend? Be my guest." Helga interrupted and gestured dramatically towards the Asian girl. Gerald grinned shyly, thanked her and jumped away. Helga shook her head in amusement. "He plays it cool, but he really likes he, doesn't he?"

Arnold moved his head upwards and his lips touched Helga's earlobe. "I like _you_…." He whispered almost sensually, but there was a childishly possessive tone in his voice.

Helga felt a shiver go down her spine, but ignored it. "Yeah, yeah. I like you too, Football Head." She chuckled awkwardly.

"You do?" he asked prolonging the last word in wonder. "This is the best field trip ever!"

After Arnold's arms had cheerfully lifted in the air, they fell back down and a hand landed on Helga's thigh. Her leg flinched, but that was all she did. She knew it was a coincidence; it had to be. Drunk or not, surely Arnold wasn't bold or stupid enough to touch her in public?

Then again…

Helga looked around and noticed that she and Arnold were somewhat secluded from the others. Since Sid and Gerald had moved away, the spaces between the blondes and their classmates were unoccupied. This was still risky though; all that needed to happen was one of their classmates deciding to look at them and they would be busted.

Then again…

Arnold was drunk and so were the others. Even Helga felt a little tipsy despite being anything but a lightweight. Surely no one expected her to hit her own stepbrother, like she had hit Sid earlier, even if he was getting a little handy. Not that she would hit him either way. She didn't mind Arnold's touch, but she couldn't show that.

Arnold fell further down Helga's chest and eventually landed on her lap. The blonde rolled her eyes. "You didn't just black out, did you?" she asked and choked down a shriek when he bit on her inner thigh. _Ok, you're awake_. She declared in her mind and looked at her classmates. "I'll get Arnold to bed. He's too drunk."

"Let him sleep here." Harold suggested.

Helga shook her head though and moved her legs away from Arnold, which caused the boy to whine in disappointment. "He's drunk, which means he will probably snore loudly enough to make an echo in the mountains."

Despite the flawed logic, most of the teens accepted Helga's explanation or didn't care enough to argue against her. Rhonda though decided to speak. "Isn't there anyone who thinks it's weird that Helga is putting Arnold to bed?"

Helga's eyebrows knitted together at the comment, but she ignored it and simply continued helping Arnold standing up.

"Why is that weird? She's not gonna join him or anything." Sheena pointed out, her head swaying from side to side like a drunk bubblehead doll.

"Ew! Don't even think that! That's incest!" Rhonda bellowed harshly.

"It is technically not incest as long as people aren't blood-related." Phoebe informed matter-of-factly, her voice much clearer in comparison to her peers'.

"It's still creepy." Rhonda insisted stubbornly. "Their parents are getting married, the all live together as a family. Imagine if they get another child!"

Helga choked at those words and almost dropped Arnold to the floor. She quickly scooped him back up and shot the others a panicked look. "I hate Olga, I've barely gotten used to Arnold and now you're talking about a _third_ sibling? Shut up!" she shrieked to the clear amusement of her peers.

"Yeah, shut up, Rhonda!" Sid bellowed goofily. Rhonda started scolding him for talking to her like that, but Helga simply grinned at Sid as a form of thank you for taking her side.

The blonde didn't notice that Arnold was looking at them though and was even frowning at this point. He started pulling her along with him or that was at least what he was trying to do. He had a feeling all he managed to do was struggle against her though as she guided him to the bedroom furthest away from their classmates.

"Behave, you drunk idiot. Criminy, this brings back memories." Helga complained, with humor in her voice though.

Arnold growled in displeasure when he imagined the smile Helga had shown Sid just before. "Don't show Sid that." He slurred.

"Huh?" Helga questioned before kicking the door open and dragging Arnold inside. "What smile? What are you talking about?"

"That smile you just smiled in front of Sid! Don't show him that; I'm the only one who - - " Arnold's words were cut short when he stumbled and almost fell. Helga stepped in front of him, saving him from the fall, but he was still not standing properly on his own two feet so it was only a matter of time before she would lose her grip.

"Oh, for crying out loud! I'm getting sick of this delusional jealousy - - Watch it!"

Arnold attempted to take a step, which caused her to instinctively move backwards. Their feet got tangled and they ended up sprawled on the floor. Helga groaned when the back of her head hit the carpet, but she wasn't hurt.

"Arnold?" she said, her voice implying she was asking whether he was ok. He was lying on top of her with his head buried in her hair. "You're squishing me." She said quietly, more matter-of-factly than in a way of ordering him to get off her.

Arnold mumbled something incoherent against Helga's hair to which she asked him what he was saying. He put his palms next to her head and pushed himself up, showing her a somber expression. "Excuse me… for being jealous."

"_What_?" Helga questioned in disbelief. _Is he really going to talk about this right now?_

"Excuse me for being jealous… that Sid can openly flirt with you and I can't…" Arnold continued, the slur in his voice still apparent, but his words were comprehensible enough. "Excuse me… for falling in love with you, the probably worst person I could have feelings for… Excuse me for making everything such a mess in our family."

"A-Arnold…" Helga tried to interrupt when she noticed the slight sarcasm in his voice fading and changing into a sob.

The almost weeping boy above her affected her more than she liked and it worried her. She hated when people cried; she never knew what to do and the fact that it was Arnold weeping just made it worse. _Great. Now I feel guilty and I haven't done anything wrong._

"Arnold." Helga said gently and put her hands on his cheeks. He looked at her, his eyes shining, but tears had yet to truly fall down his face. "That smile I showed Sid, I, uh… promise I won't smile at him like that again… ok?" she questioned, hoping this was enough to calm him down. Truth be told; she still didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

Arnold's head slumped until his forehead landed on Helga's chest. "That's not it…" he whispered in a strangely serious fashion. She groaned in relinquishment. She was about to ask him what it was then, but she never got the chance. Before she knew what was happening, his lips were upon hers and she gasped in shock.

Helga stared at Arnold's eyelids, unsure of what to do and what to think. The way he was kissing her wasn't with the same passion he had done before. The feeling oozing from his lips wasn't desperation or need; it was despair. He was begging her to understand, to forgive him, to love him back. The guilt started to consume her and part of her wanted to push him away. They were, after all, still on a field trip with their classmates and if they chose to check up on Arnold, they'd both be done for.

But with the way Arnold was kissing her, Helga felt like the cruelest person in the Universe if she stopped him. _Great. I'm an asshole if I do and I'm an asshole if I don't…_ She thought in frustration. So she decided to do what she wanted to do. _Damn fleshly appetites._ She cursed in her head before using her foot to kick the door until the soft click of it closing echoed in the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Yes, I am mean; you're not even supposed to know what does or does **_**not**_** happen between Arnold and Helga here just yet – you'll find out in the next chapter which shouldn't take as long to finish. Please stay tuned! (despite my lateness… xD)**

**And the song Helga sings is "Closer" by Tegan and Sara. I **_**definitely**_** recommend hearing it! I adore the message behind the music video; you see all kinds of lovers there and it just makes me happy whenever the diversity in our society is shown instead of "just" the straight couples.**

_**The Boxtrolls**_** is a stop-motion made from the creators of **_**Coraline**_**. Adorable movie! The boy from the movie, which I had Gerald somewhat compare Arnold to, is called **_**Eggs**_**. No, seriously xD Well, you kinda need to know the movie to get the reference, but basically Eggs has this thing with the box troll called Fish (yeah, seriously) where they hum to the melody of a music box that used to be inside a teddy bear. They just look so awkward doing it because Fish is a troll and Eggs is just a little baby inside a box xD**


	14. Wanna do me again?

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** The P.S.218 students arrived at Big Bear safe and sound, except for the two blonde stepsiblings who had to experience quite the embarrassing experience when they were caught sleeping on each other during the train journey. Despite Helga's complete lack of interest in Sid, who was still obviously trying to get her attention, he did score a few points with her when he brought a bottle of rum to the field trip, which resulted in a misunderstand between her and Arnold when he suggested she shouldn't drink.**_

_**The misunderstanding was cleared up soon, but it reminded the blondes what they had experienced the night before and what their bodies were still yearning after having been interrupted. They kept their feelings at bay though and despite Helga's mesmerizing singing, that wasn't what made Arnold jump her by the end of the night; it was the fact that he had been hitting the bottle after Sid had been flirting shamelessly with Helga for the entire evening.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I should be doing homework, instead I'm writing the ending of this chapter… C'est la vie.**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 14: "Wanna do me again?"<span>

Arnold had never woken up feeling quite like this; his head was throbbing, his throat was sore and the rest of his body felt numb. All in all, he was beyond nauseous. He groaned as he tried to move with very little success. When he tried to put his hands to his face, only his right hand made the short journey. He mumbled in confusion as he turned his head and saw Helga lying next to him with her head using his arm as a pillow.

In the back of Arnold's mind, the word _deja-vu_ appeared while the front of his mind was blank. He just stared at the sleeping girl in front of him, noticing that she was still wearing the shirt from last night, but that it was crumbled and untidy this morning.

Arnold was slowly entering a state of panic. "Helga." He whispered and looked around to verify they were alone before he shook her shoulder. "Wake up, Helga!"

The blonde girl stirred slowly and opened her eyes lazily. "Arnold?" she questioned with a yawn. "What's wrong - - "

"What happened last night?" Arnold asked in a frenzy.

Helga blinked, clearly awake now. "Huh?"

"I… I don't remember anything…" he admitted nervously and guiltily. It was clear what he was already asking, but he voiced his concern anyhow. "Did… Did we, um…"

Helga was quiet which Arnold wasn't sure how he felt about. She looked at him pensively, almost as if considering her answer, but surely there was only one answer?

Then Helga chuckled to Arnold's confusion. "You don't remember anything because nothing happened." She answered.

"R-Really?"

"Really-Really. You were drunk off your ass so I carried you in here. You kissed me for a while in your drunken stupor, but then we fell asleep." Helga explained and Arnold sighed in relief. "Don't worry. I didn't take your man cherry."

"Not funny!" Arnold insisted before Helga gave him a peck on his lips.

She then stood up and moved towards the door. "I'll sneak out and see where the others are. They all know I took you to bed last night so you just stay here and seem oblivious, ok?" she told him before she headed out.

_Yeah. Oblivious; I can definitely do that_. Arnold thought before letting himself fall flat on his back.

* * *

><p>Helga's modest plan worked like a charm. Most of their classmates had indeed crashed in the living room and were therefore completely unaware of where Helga had slept during the night. They woke up simultaneously when the teacher used a horn to wake them up. She was clearly in a sour mood and was in no shape to play kindergarten teacher so she told them to do however they pleased until it was time to go home. Since most of the teenagers were hung-over from last night, they agreed to simply stay in and relax.<p>

The trip home was without any trouble and the two very exhausted blondes were met with their equally blonde parents who weren't tired whatsoever. Much like before their kids left, they asked for their help for the wedding plans. They had been so busy they even forgot where their kids had been on the field trip. Needless to say, the gang from P.S.218 went to bed early that night.

Wednesday morning, it was time for gym class as usual. Helga and Arnold hadn't had time to be alone whatsoever thanks to both the school, their friends and their parents. They had finally put their foot down Tuesday evening when Miles had woken them up from their sleep to ask about the flowers. Miles and Miriam finally realized what a toll the wedding planning was taking on their children and promised to leave them be for a while and plan the wedding themselves.

That didn't mean that both Arnold and Helga weren't tired for the fifth day in a row when it was time for gym class. Both of them were changing with their eyes only half open. There was a huge difference between them though; while Helga never woke up until she was done changing and the class started, Arnold woke up in the boys' locker room.

The blonde boy's head was constantly falling downwards as he grabbed the hem of one of his usual plaid shirts and pulled it over his head. He realized it'd be easier to unbutton it when he hit his head and started doing that with his eyes still closed. He could hear the other boys' voices, but he wasn't listening at all. As soon as his shirt came off though, he noticed that the boys' voices went louder.

Arnold turned his head to look questioningly at the boys and his eyes finally opened properly when he saw their shocked faces. "What?" he questioned worriedly and looked around, half expecting a spider to fall down on his hair any second.

"Dude…" Sid said with his eyes almost wider than his nose. "What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

Gerald snickered as he poked on Arnold's arm and kept eyeing his torso. "Are those… hickeys?" he asked in disbelief.

Arnold's eyes widened considerably and he looked down at himself. Sure enough, he could see red marks on his chest and abdomen. "What?!" he shrieked perhaps too girlishly and walked towards the mirror to look at himself. He put his hand to his neck, noticing that the hickeys were significantly darker and richer in number there.

"_Are_ those hickeys?" Harold asked in disbelief with a huge grin on his face.

"Well, those sure ain't mosquito bites!" Stinky bellowed and started laughing.

"My, my, Arnold. You have failed to mention to us you were seeing someone?" Eugene asked curiously, his smile far more innocent compared to his peers'.

Arnold's exhausted brain was trying to wrap around what he was looking at. Those were _definitely_ hickeys and the only person who could have planted them there was the same person he hadn't even kissed since Big Bear. _Big Bear_… Arnold thought and remember Helga's words: _"You don't remember anything because nothing happened. You were drunk off your ass so I carried you in here. You kissed me for a while in your drunken stupor, but then we fell asleep."_

"I can't believe her!" Arnold bellowed in a high-pitched, but low voice. _She lied to me! If she had enough time to make these, there's no way all we did was kissing!_

"_Her_?!" the boys shouted as if they were surprised.

_Oh, crap._ Arnold thought and turned to look at the boys. He was being drowned in questions about the girl who had made the hickeys and he had no idea how to answer any of them. "One at time!" he begged even though he was only trying to stall. He couldn't answer their questions about the mystery girl; _no way_.

"Why didn't you tell us you were seeing someone, man?" Gerald asked with a bit of hurt in his voice.

Arnold sighed guiltily. "It's, uh… very new." He lied. Or was it new? When did this even start? When did it _truly_ start?

"It's new?" Sid asked incredulously as he eyed Arnold's hickeys. "Dude, what kinda crazy broad did you hook up with?"

Arnold frowned at that comment. "She's not a _broad_."

"Well, those hickeys weren't made by a _lady_." Harold countered and started laughing with the other boys. "She's clearly marked you as her own."

Arnold blushed and looked over his shoulder at his reflection, eyeing the hickeys on his back. "Marked me…" he mumbled shyly.

"Oh, yeah. You know what they say about hickeys, right?" Harold asked as he patted Arnold's shoulder. The blonde boy shook his head and Harold grinned at him. "They are a person's way of telling others to stay away."

"Huh?"

"It's like when animals piss on their territory. It means: _stay away, this is mine_!"

Arnold groaned at the disgusting metaphor, but couldn't help but feel a sort of happiness bubbling in his stomach. He was still angry though, both with Helga _and_ himself. Why had he gotten so hammered he couldn't remember a single thing and why did Helga lie about that night? What _did_ happen?

"Hey…" Sid said with his signature perverted smirk. "Do you have hickeys anywhere else?"

Arnold blinked. "Uh… I-I don't know. I've been so tired the last couple of days, I haven't really noticed anything…" he admitted and looked down at his pants. He quickly pulled them off and looked at his reflection in the mirror again.

"Oh, my God!" Harold shouted in clear amusement as they eyed the obvious hickeys around his hips.

"Are there some under your boxers too?" Sid asked in hilarity and jokingly reached for Arnold's boxers. The blonde quickly stepped away and jogged towards his clothes. "Oh, come on. We're just kidding, Arnold. Seriously, you're lucky. I wish I had a girl who would do that to me."

Arnold frowned considerably at Sid's words; said girl was after all the one Sid was currently hitting on. He felt a little guilty, but mostly he was just embarrassed.

"Wait. If you have hickeys _there_… did she suck you off?" Harold asked in awe.

Arnold choked on nothing but air and he turned to glare at his friends. "Could we please change the subject?"

The boys gawked at each other. "That's a yes!" they declared and started bombarding Arnold with questions again.

He was saved by their gym teacher though who knocked on the door and asked them what was taking them so long and threatening to make them do ten extra laps if they weren't out of there within a minute.

It's a redundant detail, but Arnold was naturally anything but focused during gym. His eyes kept darting towards Helga who was blissfully unaware of both his embarrassment, confusion and rage. He couldn't believe Helga had lied to him about what had happened and why? Well, perhaps because he was being completely hysterical about the thought of having done something he couldn't remember, but still. She should have told him the truth.

Arnold wanted to confront Helga as soon as possible and planned to do so during lunch, but Gerald got ahold of him before he could get ahold of her. "Hey, can I talk to you?" Gerald had asked in the hallway with his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatshirt; his unconscious sign of being in a bad mood – sad or angry was never certain.

Arnold sighed and nodded before following his best friend towards the school yard. He should have known Gerald wanted to talk. Arnold had never had a proper girlfriend and now, out of nowhere, he was apparently sleeping with a girl. A girl Gerald had never heard him talk about. It was extremely out of character for Arnold not to confide in his best friend, which had been a hard thing not to do, but everything had been so messed up that he hadn't had it in him to confess to Gerald at all.

Once Arnold and Gerald were out of sight around the corner of the school yard, the taller boy turned and crossed his arms. "It's not so much you didn't tell me that annoys me as much as you not trusting me with this." He told him in a hiss.

"It's not a matter of trust, Gerald!" Arnold bellowed unhappily. "I was trying to forget it myself, honestly. This… This whole thing is so messed up and I - - "

"This girl…" Gerald interrupted thoughtfully and bit on his lip. "Do I know her?"

"Wha… W-What do you mean _know her_?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Gerald growled. "I've had a feeling since your slumber party, but I wasn't sure… I also thought my best friend would trust me enough to tell me that he is _banging_ his own sister!"

Arnold started scowling. "First of all, we're not _banging_. Trust me." He said with a groan, sighing at the reminder. "Second of all; I didn't try to hide it from you specifically or something. This thing between me and Helga happened so out of nowhere! It-It escalated so quickly I-I didn't even consider telling you."

"Why not?" Gerald asked sadly. "I'm your best friend, dude, we've known each other since preschool. You know me; I don't have enough moral to judge you for what you and Helga are doing. If anything I'm a little shocked that you're doing this kind of thing with any girl at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I never took you for the kind of guy to fool around with a girl." Gerald admitted, which Arnold frowned in confusion at. "I mean, unlike me, you have some serious morals, Arnold, and I just thought - - "

"Whoa-whoa, _wait_. Helga and I aren't… w-we aren't… We aren't doing this because… I-I'm not fooling around with her!"

"What?" Gerald questioned and then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, my God…" he said and moved closer to Arnold, inspecting his friend's face. "I thought she was just your rebound girl after Lila or something. Then again, that doesn't seem like something you'd do either. But I thought maybe Helga just agreed or whatever…"

"That's not what this is!" Arnold hissed. "I-I can't even tell you when it started. It's a snowball effect; one thing led to another and before I knew it, I… I, uh - - "

"Fell in love with your own fucking stepsister." Gerald stated and shook his head in disbelief. "You've always had a thing for girls you can't have."

"That's _not_ what this is!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I met Helga _before_ I knew she was going to be my stepsister!"

Gerald blinked a couple of times in confusion. "Wait…" he muttered and then shook his head. "_What_? What are you - - What are you talking about? Start from the beginning, would you?!"

And that Arnold did. He told Gerald about that fateful meeting in the bus where he had met Helga for the first time, he told him about the dinner at Chez Paris and he told him about how he had gone back and forth from liking her to disliking her for a while before falling so hard for her it physically hurt. He told him about their first kiss, about his confession, about what she had admitted to him and finally, what had happened at Big Bear lake – at least the parts he remembered.

Gerald had been silent through the whole thing and didn't react except for an occasional question, but that changed when Arnold finally finished his bittersweet tale. "Whoa…" was the first word out of his mouth and it took a while before he said anything else. "Arnold… I love you, man, but… but you really are a jinx."

Arnold rolled his eyes. "That's all you got from what I just told you?"

"No, but that's the essence… Of all the girls you could fall for, in _comparison_ to all the girls you have ever fallen for, Helga sure is the worst one yet."

"What do you mean?"

"She's gonna be your stepsister, man! If Miles found out, he'd have a freaking heart attack! You could be risking their marriage." Gerald insisted, but Arnold just closed his eyes and shook his head stubbornly. "Man… you really like her." Gerald stated and massaged Arnold's shoulder soothingly. "What's your plan? Are you gonna ask her about Big Bear?"

"I have to… but I'm afraid what she's gonna say… What if we did do something, Gerald? I mean… what if we did something _more_? I don't like the thought of not remembering the first time doing _that_… and I'm scared Helga lied to me because she's insulted that I don't remember."

"She knew you were drunk off your ass that night; there's no way she has a right to be angry."

"M-Maybe not, but I still hate myself for not remembering… I'm never drinking again." Arnold swore, which Gerald chuckled at.

* * *

><p>Arnold kept trying to confront Helga on their way home, but it never happened. As soon as they met outside the school, Miriam had called her and started talking to her about going dress shopping sometime later this week. Helga was clearly not keen to the idea of joining her mom on a shopping spree to find both Miriam's bridal gown and her own bridesmaid dress. As soon as Miriam had mentioned the color peach, Helga had screamed like a pig at her to Arnold's clear amusement which earned him Helga's hand on his head as a way of punishing him.<p>

Helga had barely hung up on Miriam when they reached their house and were met with their parents in the door. "Oh, sorry, kids!" Miles said when he almost bumped into them. He ran past them, holding his coat in his hand.

Arnold blinked in confusion. "Where are you going?" he asked when he noticed that Miriam was moving just as frantically even though she was still inside the house.

"Our wedding planner called us and said that the person who schedules the weddings for Bel Air Hotel told her there was a cancellation here in spring so we - - "

"Whoa-whoa, wait. I thought you already settled on a venue?" Helga questioned in confusion.

"But it's Bel Air Hotel, Helga! We can't possible miss an opportunity like that! We're going to meet the wedding planner there to look over the place and decide whether we want to accept or not." Miriam explained.

"But… Bel Air Hotel…" Arnold mumbled. "Isn't that in Los Angeles?"

"Yes, that's why we need to go… _now_!" Miles told Miriam who hurried out of the house, causing both her daughter and stepson to almost fall when they stepped aside to make room for her. "We need to stay in Los Angeles for the night so you two will have to take care of the house in the meantime. We'll be home sometime tomorrow. You can take care of yourselves, right?"

Helga and Arnold looked at each other and the girl couldn't help but smirk. "I'm… sure we can think of something to do." She replied innocently.

Arnold gulped at the hidden meaning behind her words, but decided to ignore them for now. "S-So, you two are just going to randomly go to Los Angeles to look at Bel Air Hotel and we won't see you until tomorrow?" he questioned.

"Oh, it'll be fine, Arnold." Miles said and gave Miriam the keys so she could unlock the car. He put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Miriam has always dreamed of getting married at the Bel Air Hotel and I really want to make her happy so we have to go. Ok?"

"O-Ok, I'm just…" Arnold said, but shook his head. _Why am I complaining?_ He thought, wondering if it was because he was suddenly nervous by the thought of being alone with Helga… for an entire night even. "Never mind. Just drive safely, ok?"

"We will." Miles said and pecked his son's forehead. "We'll be home tomorrow. You two behave, ok?"

"What else would we do?" Helga asked sarcastically.

Miles chuckled halfheartedly at her joke, obviously in too much of a rush to listen properly to her. "Goodnight, you two!" he shouted before jumping into the car. Miriam simply waved before the car before jumping in as well.

"Goodnight indeed." Helga muttered as she and Arnold waved at their parents driving away. "I think I'll head to bed right now." She said and took Arnold's hand, pulling him inside and pushing him against the door. "Wanna join me?"

"I - - " Arnold said, but his voice was muffled by Helga's lips on his.

He almost sighed in relief as if he had just returned home after being away from years. Despite the passionate kiss, he felt calm in her arms. The temptation was great, they were truly _alone_ for the first time since forever, but he had to ask her about what had happened.

"Helga." Arnold said after pulling his mouth away from hers, but she continued kissing him on his throat, which caused him to groan. With determination, he grabbed her wrists and swung her around until she hit the wall next to the door.

She was looking at him in shock, but it faded into excitement. "Ooh, good start." She said with a bit of mockery in her voice before starting to bite on her lip in expectation.

Arnold's breathing was already ragged by the thought of continuing this, but he shook his head violently. "N-No… Helga, that's not what… I have hickeys." He finally admitted.

She looked at him in confusion, but then her eyes traveled to his neck and noticed the bruise there. _Oh, whoa… Real subtle, Helga._ She thought and looked at Arnold guiltily. "And now you're wondering why I lied." She stated and whipped her hands out of his grip.

"Yes, I _am_ and can you blame me?" Arnold asked a little angrily.

Helga crossed her arms. "Well, I didn't lie to you, Football Head! I meant it when I told you that we didn't have sex."

"But we did do more than just kissing _obviously_. I have hickeys everywhere!"

"Oh, that's bullshit."

"I have hickeys under my _boxers_, Helga!"

Helga blinked a couple of times before hissing. "Crap."

"Yeah, crap. The boys saw it during gym!"

"_What_?!"

"I've been so tired because of dad and Miriam's constant nagging about the wedding that I didn't notice them until they pointed them out. Now they keep asking me who the _broad_ I'm hooking up with is!"

"Broad?"

"Their words, not mine." Arnold explained and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Helga… why did you lie? And what _did_ happen?"

"Nothing - - "

"You're lying."

"Let me finish!" Helga hissed and sighed again. "Nothing we haven't done before… also, you _did_ faint in the middle of it so that wasn't a lie."

Arnold felt sick to his stomach. He kept trying to force himself to remember, but his memory was one blank space. "And why did you lie about that?"

"Because I knew this was how you were gonna react." Helga admitted and leaned back against the wall, putting the sole of her foot against it as well. "I knew you were going to feel guilty for not remembering and I wanted to spare you for that pain… and I didn't think of the hickeys, I'll admit."

"That just makes me feel worse…" Arnold said and sunk down to the floor.

"That I didn't think of the hickeys?"

"_No_, that you lied to protect me! Now I can only be angry with myself." Arnold explained in frustration and put his hands up to his face.

Helga slithered down until she was sitting next to him. "How about not being angry at anyone? Arnold, you were drunk, you were crying and I couldn't resist you. I'm sorry."

"Crying?" Arnold questioned and looked at her.

"Oh, uh, well…" Helga said and cursed her own name for telling him that. "You were upset that Sid kept flirting me and… that he could and you can't because of our parents. I've always been weak to tears, but seeing you like that… it broke my heart."

Arnold saw something soft in Helga's eyes when she said that; something he hadn't seen before. She looked at him in a sort of vulnerable way he hadn't thought she was capable of. Then he realized her words and sighed.

"I… I'm sorry… I think I showed a really pitiful and embarrassing side of myself at Big Bear…"

Helga opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Ever since Big Bear she had been thinking a lot. She had wondered why his crying had bothered her so, she had wondered why she couldn't resist him… She had wondered many things and had come to an unlikely conclusion she wished to share, but feared to do so. She still wasn't sure if she had come to terms with her recent discoveries. Nevertheless, she wanted Arnold to smile at her again…

Helga put her hand on Arnold's cheek and moved his head until he was looking at her. His beautiful green eyes almost seemed as if he looked through her. She leaned closer to him, stopping for a mere second before her lips touched his gently. She hoped she could convey what she wanted him to know through this simple action, but she didn't know whether it had worked or not. She leaned back until their lips weren't touching anymore, waiting for his response.

Arnold closed his eyes and did more than just respond; he kissed her himself. The tip of her fingers grazed his ear and he shivered at the ghostly feeling. _How does she do that?_ He wondered as he felt his worries fade away as if by magic. All he needed was a kiss from her and he was in heaven.

It wasn't until Helga's lips disappeared from Arnold's mouth that he opened his eyes. She took his hand gently and helped him stand up. With her eyes locked loyally on his, she led him up the stairs and towards their rooms. She heard him gulp nervously, presumably in realization.

"You choose." Helga stated when they were standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Huh?" Arnold whispered. He had hoped Helga would take the lead as usual. He felt so nervous all of a sudden that he feared he would be clumsy or awkward.

"You seem nervous so I figured you should get the chance to take some initiative." Helga told him honestly. She could see he was nervous, but she refused to hold his hand through this; well, at least metaphorically speaking. _He needs more confidence. So… maybe I should be a little mean?_ She thought. "Choose; my room or yours?"

To say that Arnold was confused would be an understatement. Why was she asking this of him; if she wanted him to be less nervous, she should have taken the lead! "Um…" he mumbled and looked between their rooms. "I don't really care, but… you-your room?"

"Ok." Helga said, grabbed his shoulder and turned him around until they were both facing her door. She waited, but he didn't do anything. "Open it."

"I-It's _your_ room. _You_ open it."

"You chose this room so you should open the door. Are you really that shy?"

_I don't think shyness covers this…_ Arnold thought as he felt Helga lean against him.

"Or would you prefer to do it here… standing up?" she asked in a whisper. Arnold visibly shivered at her words and had to focus on grabbing the door handle and opening the door. "See, was that so hard? Criminy, I'm starting to wonder if you really want to do this."

Those words pushed a button inside Arnold he didn't know he had. He grabbed Helga's hand behind him, pulled her inside and used her back to close the door by pushing her against it. She blinked in surprise and he smirked.

"What did you call it…?" Arnold wondered sarcastically. "A good start?"

Helga blinked once more before she smirked. Arnold smiled smugly back before he kissed her without closing his eyes so he could watch her reaction for as long as possible. She didn't close her eyes either though, perhaps out of defiance. She tangled her fingers in his and finally closed her eyes though as if surrounding to him. He lifted her arms above her head and started kissing her jaw. He traveled down her throat and suckled on the taut skin there.

"Are you planning to give me a hickey as well?" Helga asked in a low voice.

"The temptation is there." Arnold admitted in a whisper against her throat.

She shivered. "We're done with gym this year…" she pointed out just before he kissed her skin again, this time sucking more harshly. "Did I even have to remind you of that?"

"No."

"You were gonna do it anyway, weren't you?"

"Yep." Arnold agreed with an almost feral grin as he went back to Helga's eyelevel.

"You are such a brat." Helga teased before he kissed her lips. His hands followed her arms to her shoulders and down her sides to her hips. "Strange…"

"What is?"

"We finally have the time to take things slow, but… I don't think I want to." Helga admitted in a pant.

"That's the good thing about having time…" Arnold said with a gentle smile and unzipped her sweatshirt slowly. "We can do it as many times as we want."

Helga blinked. "Ambitious, aren't you?" she asked with a smirk.

"Nah…" he answered as his hand caressed her cheek, his thumb grazing over her lips. "I've just been wanting this for so long."

Helga smirked before she opened her mouth and bit down gently on his fingertip. As soon as she did that, he moved to kiss her in urgency as his hands moved to her breasts, cupping them softly. She inhaled so sharply that her stomach hurt from the sudden change of space. She closed her eyes, enjoying the still alien sensation of Arnold's hands on her chest. Her tongue moved out of the safety from her mouth and coaxed his into opening as well. He obliged enthusiastically while his hands started to experimentally roam on her chest. He had touched it before, but not like this.

Helga lifted her thigh and rubbed it between Arnold's legs, causing him to stop their kiss in order to groan. "No more nice Helga." The blonde warned before her hands clasped around his cheeks and her lips clashed against his. She pushed him until he hit the bed and fell onto the mattress with her straddling him.

_That was nice Helga just before?_ Arnold wondered in awe. The blonde girl grabbed at the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up over his arms and head. As soon as it was gone, he pulled her down to him to kiss her again. His hands went behind her head, grabbed at her ponytail and loosened it to run his fingers through her hair. She leaned back up, closing her eyes as shook her hair free. It was an enthralling sight.

Arnold moved his hands up Helga's thighs and grabbed at her sleeves to pull on her sweatshirt. She wiggled her shoulders, helping him to get the sweatshirt off and when it was, it landed somewhere near his t-shirt. She put her hands behind her back and Arnold waited as patiently as he could for the bra to disappear. When her chest was bare, her hands went to his lower abdomen and she smirked sensually at him. His hands crept up her naked stomach and her fingers flexed when his hands reached her breasts.

Helga moaned as she started grinding against Arnold, gradually getting him harder and harder and that feeling made her want him all the more. "Pesky pants." She hissed even though she was smiling before she started fumbling with his zipper. She did so, carefully, minding the hardness she could feel under the jeans and pulled them down slowly once they were opened. She was about to move to pull them down, but then Arnold grabbed her by the hem of her own sweatpants and pulled at them as well.

With a short laugh, Helga let herself fall to the side, pulling her pants down to her thighs in the process. Arnold was quick in copying her action and once their pants were off, he climbed on top of her, kissing her desperately. He felt her move her thighs against his legs and up to his hips, pulling him closer to her wetness. He groaned in impatience and stopped the kiss in order to pull her underwear off. She pulled her knees to her chest to help him and soon, she was lying stark naked on the bed.

Arnold marveled in the beauty of the girl beneath him. Helga was breathing heavily, but slowly and the motion of her chest was timed perfect with every breath of air he felt from swollen lips. She chuckled nervously.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She joked.

Arnold laughed breathlessly. "Can I?" he asked to which she smirked and slapped him on his shoulder before pulling him down to her again. While licking her lips sensually, his hand moved down her body, making sure his sensitive fingertips felt and memorized every curve they felt on the travel down to her sex. His palm ceased on her hip as his thumb caressed the clit once, earning a gasp from its owner.

Arnold considered asking how Helga wanted him to do it, he considered asking for advice, but his inexperience was overshadowed by his curiosity. Besides, Helga was a very outspoken girl; surely she would tell him if he was going completely off course. So he let his good instincts – the instincts his grandpa had always insisted that he had - take over. His hands fell down her sex once, caressing the heated lips he felt. It felt hotter than he had imagined and his fingers went back, making a circular motion until his fingers were placed near her entrance.

"Go ahead." Helga whispered against Arnold's lips before kissing them.

With a small internal gulp, he wiggled his middle finger inside gently and carefully and all he could think was _warm_ when he reached the end of his finger. He opened his eyes to look at Helga's reaction and the sight was breathtaking. She was biting her lower lip, her head was whipped backwards and her back was arching of the bed in ecstasy.

"Oh, fuck!" Helga cursed when Arnold moved his finger and her hips bucked against his hand.

He laughed in awe. "You look beautiful." He said as he watched and felt her move against his body.

She chuckled even as she panted. "I-I curse and you… c-call me beautiful. You have a twisted sense of beauty." She teased and opened her eyes.

Arnold leaned down to her without stopping the motion of his hand and even added a finger without any warning, earning the most delicious groan he had ever heard from the blonde. "I said you _looked_ beautiful…" he pointed out. Helga smirked as she purred harshly at him before kissing him. He groaned at the way her legs were starting to push even harder against him, causing his erection to rub against her thigh and give him a dissatisfying sort of friction.

"If you keep doing that your fingers will get wrinkly." Helga joked in a hiss.

"You want me to stop?"

"God no… but your fingers aren't enough." Helga explained as she pulled his boxers down.

Arnold moaned as he removed his fingers and helped her kick his boxers off. When they were gone, he grabbed Helga around her hips, pulling her as close to him as possible. He looked between them and then back at her questioningly.

"Time it with my breathing." Helga said encouragingly and grabbed his hands to tangle their fingers together on the mattress next to their hips. He nodded and watched as she breathed in slowly and exhaled. She did so once more before he positioned himself and inched inside of her as she inhaled. He watched her face contort in pain for a mere second and stopped as she exhaled. He moved again, this time faster, imagining it must be like pulling a Band-Aid off; going fast would be better. Helga hissed and forgot her breathing completely. She could feel her eyes prickle with tears that she refused to let fall down and her fingers tightened around his hands.

"I… I-I'm all the way in." Arnold informed, hoping that would make Helga's face go back to the lustful one he had seen a moment ago.

"Yeah, no shit!" Helga cursed though and let her head fall back on the mattress again. She noticed the pillow above her head, grabbed it and threw it on the floor.

"Do you… want to stop?" Arnold asked, wondering what the poor pillow had done.

Helga shook her head though. "No… I was just a little surprised. I always thought girls were being such babies about this." She admitted with a smile and Arnold smiled back in relief. He didn't want to see Helga in pain and he would have stopped if she had told him to, but he was afraid that if they stopped now, he'd have to put ice on his crotch later. "I… I think I want to be on top though."

Arnold felt his heart skip a beat at Helga's suggestion and nodded enthusiastically. She smiled as he leaned down to grab her and helped her swing the both of them around until she was on top of him. He groaned at the motion he felt around him when they did so and she moaned herself. She leaned up, looked down at him for a moment and then moved upwards slowly and back down. She felt him tense under her, obviously holding himself back from slamming inside of her. She couldn't help but smirk as she felt the pain go away after a few more bucks.

Helga grabbed Arnold's hands and pulled them over his head, leaned down and blew some air on his face. He closed his eyes automatically and blinked a couple of times before opening them. "Go ahead." He heard Helga tell him and he looked at her in confusion. "You can be the one to fuck _my_ brains out this time."

Arnold shivered at her suggestable words. He shut his eyes tight for a moment, felt his endurance fade away and grabbed her thighs. He thrust as deeply inside of her as he could, earning a loud gasp from her and another one when he repeated the action.

"Oh, my… _God_!" Helga shrieked in shock and moved in perfect synch with Arnold.

Despite the slight sting she still felt, everything else she felt was making her dizzy and warm all over. The sight of sweat running down Arnold's forehead and his chest, the scent of their sexes and the feeling of him inside of her made her moan uncontrollably.

Helga leaned down and kissed Arnold, ignoring that their teeth bumped at first and wrapped her arm under his neck. He reciprocated the kiss enthusiastically as his arms went around her hips to hold her closer. He stopped their kiss though and moved his head until his mouth found her breast and his tongue licked it. He had never felt so happy to be shorter than her when he heard the high-pitched moan she made as he kissed her nipple.

The boy could feel Helga's thighs and arms shake in harmony with his own as he pushed her upwards. She moved obediently and kissed the top of his head once they were both sitting up. He let go of her breast and looked up at her with half-hooded eyes which matched her own. They sat still for a few seconds before they moved again, this time in a steadier, but not any less passionate pace.

Arnold could feel, to his regret, that nature was about to take its toll on him. He could feel his orgasm approaching and he hated it because he was finally holding Helga like this and he wanted to keep doing that forever, but his body wasn't as strong-willed as his heart.

"H-Helga, I'm about to…" Arnold warned and looked up at her with his chin resting on her breast.

She smiled at him. "M-Me too." She told him, which was what sent him over the edge. His arms wrapped around her waist and he gripped at her hips tightly, almost choking her with his strength. His entire being was only one emotion and one thought as he heard her scream erratically and felt her tighten around him.

Once the mind-blowing feeling subsided, Arnold felt himself fall down on the bed with Helga nestled closely against him. He could feel her heart beat against his own and smiled when he noticed they were in harmony.

"Hey, Arnold…"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I just thought about… isn't it funny that… Miles actually offered us to share a room if we really wanted to stay at Sunset Arms and we said no… and now we're _sleeping_ together?"

Arnold groaned. "Don't make me think right now, I beg of you." He said with a breathless laugh.

"Sorry." She apologized and moved upwards before falling down next to him. Arnold moved his head to look at her and their eyes met. "Whoa…"

"Yeah…" Arnold agreed in a pant and moved on his side to hold her in his arms. To his utter joy, she nuzzled against his neck and rested with her arms wrapped around him as well. He was in Heaven without being dead, he was sure of it. This was total bliss.

"Hey, Arnold…"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna do me again?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Now, some of you who have read my former stories might be thinking: "Does this mean we're getting close to the end?" since in my former stories, whenever Arnold and Helga have had sex for the first time, it's in the last chapter or second last chapter xD I can tell you that NO, this is **_**definitely**_** not the end! We're not even halfway there Cx Unlike my other stories, Arnold and Helga are going to have more sex, hehe… x3 Stay tuned for the next chapter :D**


	15. A glass against his forehead

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** After Arnold woke up next to Helga in the same bed at Big Bear, she insisted nothing had happened the former night. But a few days later, the other boys saw obvious hickeys on Arnold's body and he realized Helga lied to him. Gerald confronted Arnold and told him he already had a feeling he and Helga were a sort of item, but now Arnold had admitted it to him.**_

_**When Arnold and Helga came home, Miriam and Miles left to go to Los Angeles and look at Bel Air Hotel to figure out if it was possible to have the wedding there. That left Arnold alone with Helga and gave him the chance to confront her. She admitted they had done more than she had let on, but nothing had truly happened and she told him about how he had cried due to Sid's shameless flirting. A few minutes after, they were having sex for the first time.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: I don't know what to say except; sudden quickness in updating chapters – yay! Enjoy :D**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 15: "A glass against his forehead"<span>

Arnold had woken up next to Helga before, but this was completely different. The blissful memories from last night made him feel lightheaded and calm all at once. He inhaled the scent of her hair which tickled his nose and caused him to chuckle. The sound made her stir in her sleep and before she opened her eyes, he kissed her shoulder tenderly.

Helga smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Arnold greeted before she put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. She climbed on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her playfully. He felt his reaction to her skin pressed against his and considered giving into the urges, but he had to tell her something first. "Helga."

"Don't worry. I'm on birth control."

"Huh?" Arnold questioned and pulled away.

"I figured you were worried because we didn't use anything last night, but I've been on pills since I was thirteen so it's fine." Helga explained and kissed his throat.

"_Thirteen_?" Arnold repeated in surprise.

"Yeah. Birth control also controls the period and mine was beyond irregular."

"Huh. I didn't know that." Arnold said curiously.

"Why would you?" Helga pointed out and kissed him down his chest.

Arnold moaned. "I-It's good to know though…" he said and closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation of Helga's tongue on his hipbone. "That we, uh - - "

"Can fuck without any worries?" Helga asked teasingly while grabbing the hem of his boxers.

"Yeah, that." Arnold agreed breathlessly. _Wasn't there something I wanted to tell her?_ He wondered even as she kissed him through his boxers. _There was… something…_ "I remember!"

Helga whipped her head up in shock due to Arnold's sudden and loud exclamation. "Remember what?"

"What I actually wanted to tell you before." Arnold explained and put his hands on her cheeks to pull her closer, but mostly because he feared the hickey on her throat would distract him – he had made it after all. "About… what we talked about yesterday."

Helga blushed, thinking he had realized what she had tried to convey to him yesterday through her actions. She had hoped he wouldn't make a big deal out of it; she felt embarrassed and shy enough as it was.

"That thing about Sid…"

"Huh?" Helga said in disbelief. "Why are you still - - "

"I-I just have to be honest with you… I trust you; I do, but I can't promise I won't get jealous again. I'm still insecure and I hope you can see it from my point of view - - "

"No, I can't. Tell me." Helga ordered and grabbed Arnold's hands to pull them away.

_Crap. She's angry._ Arnold and gulped. "I-It's just, um… Helga, I understand and respect that you… that you don't know how you feel and I don't want to give up on you, not at all." He told her as calmly as he could, barely noticing the look of anger on her face changing into one of pure confusion. "But I just want you to understand that not knowing how you feel makes me insecure and that's why - - "

"Whoa, whoa, _wait_. What do you mean you don't know how I feel?" Helga asked, her eyebrows gradually furrowing.

Arnold blinked in confusion. "Well… you told me that _you_ don't even know how you feel. How am I supposed to know?"

"Did you miss what I told you last night?"

"Last night?"

"Yeah! After I told you that you were crying at Big Bear. I told you that it broke my heart; what does that tell you?" Helga asked him in frustration. The boy simply blinked a couple of times though and Helga groaned. "Oh, well. I guess I knew you were pretty dense."

"Hey!"

"It's the truth, bucko." Helga said before grabbing his hands and yanking him up until he was sitting up as well. "What I meant by that…" she continued and gulped nervously. "When I said that, I was trying to tell you… S-Since Big Bear, I've been thinking a lot and… Oh, for crying out loud, never mind. I'm in love with you, ok?"

Helga watched as Arnold blinked slowly a couple of times, seemingly in shock. Then a deep blush spread on his cheeks. "S… S-Say that again."

Helga smiled adoringly at him. "I'm in love with you…" she told him slowly and put her hand on his cheek. "I realized after Big Bear… Well, sort of. I just noticed how much I hated seeing you so sad, especially because of me, and… and I did some soul searching, I guess. I still haven't come to terms with it and I'm not sure how to act, so you should still be patient with me, but yes… Y-Yes, I'm in love with you."

Arnold was still staring at Helga in silence. She almost got impatient with him until she felt her hand moving. She looked down on the hand which was still holding his and noticed that it wasn't her shaking; it was him. When she looked back up, she saw that his eyes were shut tightly and he was twitching from time to time.

"Huh? N-No way. Arnold!" Helga said and patted his cheek. "I-I told you, I don't know what to do when people cry!"

"I'm not crying!"

"The hell you aren't! My hand is getting wet!" Helga bellowed and pulled her hand away only for him to grab it and hold it tightly on her lap.

"I-I'm really trying not to…" Arnold insisted, still refusing to open his eyes. Helga blinked as she noticed his shoulders starting to shake as well. He was truly holding back to the extent that his body was complaining.

Helga shook her head in amusement and put her hand behind his head. "I give up. Go ahead." She told him as she put his forehead on her shoulder to let it rest it there. She played absentmindedly with his hair as she felt the hot tears stream down her shoulder and she felt an odd sort of happiness soaring through her. _I guess I can't blame him…_ She thought and closed her eyes in content.

* * *

><p>Arnold had a hard time not grinning all the way to school even though Helga kept bumping her shoulder and elbow against him to make his smile go away. When they walked into the classroom, Helga deliberately put her earplugs in her ears and did her best to seem casual around Arnold even though they were sitting next to each other.<p>

The boys were quick to notice Arnold's dumb smile and Sid slithered into the seat next to the blonde boy. "Were you with Miss Hickey last night?" he asked.

Arnold blushed at the question and looked at the boys around him. "Um… y-yeah." He admitted. He figured he couldn't do much else; denying it might lead to more suspicion after all. He shot a quick look at Helga and saw that she was writing absentmindedly in her notebook while bopping her head to the music from her phone.

"Tell us about her already!" Harold insisted and swung a chair around so he could rest his arms on the backrest.

"Uh… w-what do you want to know?" Arnold asked, unsure how to get out of this interrogation. He noticed Gerald approaching them and prayed his best friend could help him if necessary.

"Where did you meet her?" Eugene asked innocently, which the other boys scowled at. They were obviously hoping for some sleazy details, but Arnold was almost sighing with relief.

"I actually met her on the bus a long time ago, but… we didn't start seeing each other until recently." Arnold explained honestly. He could say that much, right? There was no reason to come up with a complicated lie, it was easier just to tell as much of the truth he could get away with.

"Has she given you more hickeys?" Harold asked as he wiggled his one eyebrow.

Arnold's lips turned into two thin lines and did his best not to look at Helga to check whether she was listening or not. "I haven't checked, but… maybe."

"Did you give her any?"

"Uh… p-possibly. Could you please ask proper questions!" Arnold begged.

"Or stop interrogating him altogether." Gerald interfered. "Let him keep his mystery girl to himself."

"Easy for you to say, Gerald! You probably already know everything about her!" Sid insisted, which Gerald shrugged at. He looked towards Helga whom he noticed was turning the music down on her earplugs. She had obviously been listening this whole time, but now she wanted to hear them clearly.

"Could we at least get her name?" Stinky asked with a grin.

Arnold's eyes widened. _A name. A name you can remember later_. He told himself. "H-Hel-Hilda." He told them nervously and smiled goofily afterwards, hoping it seemed love-smitten rather than guilty.

"Hilda?" Harold repeated in surprise. "You don't hear that name a lot."

Helga, who had been looking disinterestedly at her notebook the whole time, looked up towards nothing at all and proceeded to massage her temple in frustration. _This fucking idiot_. She thought and let her hand slide down her neck, subconsciously pulling her sweatshirt up higher even though her hickey was already completely covered.

"Good morning, class." Mrs. Oah said as she appeared in the doorframe and closed the door behind her.

While everyone went to their seats, Helga pulled her earplugs out of her ears. After putting them down her pocket, she leaned back casually with her arms behind her. She noticed Arnold shooting her a worried look and just as he looked back at their teacher, she smacked him at the back of his head.

Arnold didn't make a sound, merely flinched a little bit. "Sorry…" he whispered and heard her groan, but he couldn't help but smile anyway. He was still a very happy young man.

* * *

><p>A few days went by and before the blondes knew it, it was Saturday evening. While Miriam and Miles were downstairs, discussing the smaller details of the ceremony at Bel Air Hotel, Arnold was in Helga's room, talking with her as they both get redressed.<p>

"It's a good thing they are too hung up on the wedding planning to be concerned with us." Helga said breathlessly as she threw Arnold's shirt back at him.

He laughed. "I still don't understand when the date of the wedding is. It's as if they can't make up their mind." He answered as he dragged his arms through the sleeves and left it open as he grabbed his pants.

Arnold watched as Helga's naked body sauntered over to her closet and opened it. "Oh, they'll tell us when we need to know. Right now we should just be grateful." She said and send him a wink over her shoulder. "You still want to go to Rhonda's party?"

"Only if _you_ want to."

"Considering how her last party ended for us, I'm not sure if we should go." She answered honestly before grabbing a pair of black jeans which were ripped, not by design, but due to them being worn-out. "That being said, I feel like drinking tonight honestly. If you will allow it of course?"

"Helga - - "

"I'm just teasing you." Helga interrupted and grabbed a graffiti painted, baggy t-shirt and threw it over her chest.

"You're… not wearing a bra?" Arnold asked in slight confusion once he had finished zipping his pants.

"There are no shoulders on this t-shirt so no." Helga answered before pulling the jeans up over her hips. "Besides…" she continued and wiggled her shoulders sensually. "I like the way you look at me right now."

Arnold frowned as if he was insulted, but he couldn't deny it. The black t-shirt hid what it had to hide, but the shape of her breasts were more natural than round and it constantly reminded him that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"Rhonda wouldn't like it very much if we are more than _fashionably_ late." Helga said, approached Arnold and started buttoning his shirt. He looked down at her fingers as she did so, feeling his body reacting to her every touch despite what they had done just five minutes before. When she reached his collar, she grabbed it and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He gasped in surprise, but held her by her head and responded eagerly.

The kiss was interrupted by the feeling of Arnold's cell phone vibrating in his pocket. They both moaned at the unsuspected sensation, but Helga was quick to react. She smirked at Arnold as she stuck her hand into his pocket and purposely let it touch his crotch before offering it to him. He shot her a bit of a dirty look, but smiled before putting the phone to his ear.

"Gerald?"

"Why do you sound so outta breath, man?" Gerald asked on the other side of the phone just before he heard Helga's voice laugh teasingly. "Oh, never mind; I can figure out why. Hi, Helga."

"Hey, Gerald." Helga answered into the phone before kissing Arnold's lips once more and let go of him to grab her shoes.

"What's up?" Arnold asked as casually as he could even though he felt a little embarrassed knowing that Gerald had technically just caught him and Helga in the middle of something.

"I just wanted to tell you that you and Helga don't have to pick me and Phoebe up anyway. Jamie O let me borrow his car."

"I thought he didn't trust you with it?"

"No, but he trusts Phoebe with it apparently." Gerald explained.

Arnold could easily imagine the sour look on his face. "So you two are going together, huh?"

"And you're going with your stepsister!"

"Oh, come on - - "

"Yeah, yeah. I just need to get used to it… It's great that she's in love with you too though." Gerald said and chuckled. "That's new, huh?"

"See you, Gerald." Arnold said with a frown and hung up as he heard Gerald laugh through his phone. He was right though; it was a new feeling to know that someone cared for you the same way you cared about them. He looked up and got eye contact with Helga. When she smiled at him, he smiled fondly back.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Helga. I'm almost surprised to see you." Rhonda said when Helga and Arnold arrived at her mansion. She eyed Helga's outfit and considered making a snide comment, but she knew from experience that wouldn't end well for herself so she held her tongue.<p>

"You shouldn't be. We said we were coming."

"But you're late. And I'm talking about _actual_ late." Rhonda pointed out.

"Sorry, Rhonda." Arnold interfered and pulled Helga along with him before the girls could start fighting. "Why are you two always like that?"

"Because she's a miserable bitch who can't handle that one of her subjects won't kiss her ass whenever she sees her."

Arnold shook his head in amusement before he noticed the bar to his right. "Want me to get you a scotch? And yes, you are allowed to drink."

Helga held her tongue and smirked; he knew her too well. "Sure. Thank you." She said and watched as he walked towards the bartender. She looked through the hoard of people and saw Phoebe waving at her from the living room. The petite girl was sitting next to Gerald who just noticed Helga and smiled politely at her. "Arnold." Helga called and he turned to look at her. "I'll join Gerald and Phoebe in the living room, ok? We'll be sitting on the couches."

Arnold nodded in understanding and turned to talk to the bartender. Helga chuckled as she approached Phoebe and Gerald and sat down in the couch standing obliquely to the couch the newborn couple was sitting in.

"Konbanwa, Helga." Phoebe greeted with a smile.

"Good evening to you too, Phoebs." Helga said with a smile that faded a bit when she looked at Gerald. "You too, Gerald."

Gerald seemed pensive for a moment, but then smiled. "I think I know why you two were late."

Helga's eyebrow quirked at the suggestable comment. "And you are ok with that?"

"Can't be much else; Arnold's my best friend. I won't say that I get it and I'm still not sure if this won't just end up hurting the both of you." Gerald admitted seriously, but then groaned dramatically. "I just can't believe he got laid before me!"

Helga made one loud snicker before she went into a frantic laugh. "Criminy! Could you have said that while _he_ was here? His face would have been priceless!" she bellowed before pumping her fist against Gerald's shoulder.

The darker boy smirked. "I'll repeat it when he's here."

"You're such a good friend." Helga said sarcastically just before a glass of scotch appeared before her eyes. She flinched and leaned back in the couch and noticed a hand holding the glass and she sighed in realization. "Why, thank you." She said, took the glass and turned to look at whom she had imagined would be Arnold. "Sid?"

"The one and only." Sid said before jumping over the couch and sitting next to Helga. "I saw you coming in with Arnold and went to get you a glass of scotch."

Helga gave a tense smile. "Thank you, Sid. That was, um… sweet of you." She said, unsure of what else to say. She took a quick sip from it and moaned at the taste before gulping a big part of it down. She could see in her peripheral vision that Arnold was approaching them with two glasses in his hands, one with scotch and one with something Helga couldn't see what was.

Arnold halted when he saw Sid sitting next to Helga. The blonde girl shrugged apologetically; she couldn't do much else without seeming suspicious. The boy sighed and decided to ignore it. It wasn't Helga's fault and Sid had probably just been trying to be polite.

_Yeah, right._ Arnold thought right after and approached the group. "Hi, guys." He said and looked unsurely at the two glasses in his hands. "Uh - - "

"Oh, thanks, man!" Gerald said and grabbed the scotch from Arnold. "It's been a long time since I had scotch."

"You're welcome." Arnold said in appreciation.

Gerald gestured with his glass before drinking from it. "Yeah, that hit the spot." He said, but coughed right after. Phoebe started massing his back soothingly and he smiled in appreciation at her.

"Come and sit here, Arnold." Helga suggested and was about to move to her left in order to make room for Arnold between herself and Sid, but Sid grabbed her gently by her shoulder and helped her move to her right instead.

Arnold ignored the sting he felt from the sight of Sid's hand on Helga and sat down next to her. _Ignore it. Sid is just touching her shoulder_. He thought and reminded himself that he had kissed that same shoulder countless times within just the last few days. He had _no_ reason to be jealous.

There was a bit of a tense silence between the small group with the exception of Sid who was chatting excitedly to Helga and not _with_ her since she was hardly responding. She was looking at him and nodding when it was appropriate, but she was more focused on her foot which she had deliberately placed over Arnold's. It looked innocent and casual due to the way Helga was sitting with her back turned to him, but Arnold knew she was doing it on purpose to soothe him. It worked. At least until Sid suggested he and Helga should dance.

"Oh, I really don't like this song." Helga tried, but Sid grabbed her hand anyway. She automatically held her glass out, attempting to put it on the small coffee table, but Arnold ended up grabbing it and held it as he watched his stepsister step out on the dance floor with one of his friends. She shot him a quick apologetic look before Sid started dancing in front of her and she was forced to join him. She had deliberately pulled her hand out of his though.

"You ok?" Gerald asked in a whisper and Arnold nodded.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked sarcastically and looked at Helga's glass. He could see a small smudge from her pink lip gloss on it and couldn't stop himself from drinking from the same spot. The taste of scotch was mixed with the cherry scented lip gloss and it was intoxicating in more ways than one. "This is nothing." He insisted. "Sid just gets to dance with her… A half hour ago I was doing much more than that, so it's not a big deal."

Gerald's eyebrow quirked at Arnold's words. "That sounds good in theory, but you're almost about to break that glass." He said as he pointed at Arnold's hand. The blonde boy loosened his grip, but his shoulders were still tense. "Come on. Let's go in another room or something." The taller boy suggested and grabbed Phoebe's hand. Arnold followed the couple obediently, but not before shooting a last glance in Helga's direction.

Helga didn't fail in noticing that Arnold had left with the others. "Sid, I meant it when I said I think this song sucks." She told him, hoping her lame excuse would make him realize her disinterest.

"Then just listen to my voice."

_Oh. Ugh_. Helga thought and groaned. "Sid, you're obviously not taking the hint so I will be brutally honest with you; I'm not interested, ok?"

Sid looked surprised for a moment, but then smirked. "I bet I can change your mind." He insisted and moved closer to her.

"And I bet you can't." Helga stated and considered leaving him on the dance floor.

"Let me prove you wrong." Sid suggested sensually.

"How? By taking me on a date?"

"No. By showing you that I can please you."

"Excuse me - - " Helga said when she realized what Sid was getting at, but it was too late; he had already grabbed her by her neck and was kissing her with a form of passion she didn't know he had. All she felt in the moment was disgust and with him being so close, she could truly smell the cologne he always used. It stunk of rubbing alcohol and it was sickening. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away from her and her hand went up to her mouth to smear the taste of his mouth off her.

"Was that so bad?" Sid asked with a cocky grin and moved closer to Helga again.

"One step closer and I'll hit you." She warned matter-of-factly and stood her ground. Sid didn't take her seriously though and went to grab her again. Big mistake; as soon as his hands were on her shoulders and his lips were mere inches from her, she whipped her head back and bumped it into his forehead harshly. He staggered back and groaned, holding his head in pain. "Not a punch, but it worked just as well."

With those words, Helga left the dance floor to find Arnold; she wanted to go home. Her hand kept going to her mouth to wipe the feeling of both guilt and disguise off, but all that disappeared was her lip gloss.

_Fucking fantastic_. She thought just before she found Arnold who was chatting with Gerald and Phoebe near the bar. Helga approached them and grabbed her glass of scotch out of Arnold's hand.

"God, Helga! You scared me." Arnold told the blonde as she chugged down the whole glass.

Helga put the glass down on a nearby table and grabbed Arnold by his hand. "We're going home."

"What? But you just got here." Gerald said, but Helga ignored him and pulled Arnold away. The boy looked at her in confusion, but concerned voices caught his attention and he looked into the living room, noticing a circle of people standing around Sid who was holding an empty glass to his forehead.

"Helga!" Rhonda's voice suddenly boomed from the living room. The blonde girl didn't stop walking though. "I want you out of my house, you crazy bitch!"

"I'm already leaving!" Helga shouted and kicked the door open, too impatient to wait for the butler to do it for her. He send her a hateful stare, but closed the door gently behind her nevertheless.

"Helga, what's going on?" Arnold asked in worry and jogged until he was walking next to her rather than being pulled behind her. She stayed in seemingly mortified silence though before she let go of his hand and gave him the key to the car. He took it dutifully and went to sit in the driver's seat, watching Helga as she sat next to him. "Helga?"

The blonde girl sighed before looking at Arnold with a half-assed smile. "I'll, uh… tell you about it when we get home, ok?" she suggested and wiped her mouth yet again.

Arnold still wanted to question her, but he decided against is. She had already promised to tell him when they got home so he decided to be patient. He turned on the car and drove away from Rhonda's mansion, silently wondering if Rhonda would invite them to another one of her parties again. They had left abruptly like this before when Lila had kissed him and he had…

Arnold felt as if a light bulb should have appeared over his head. His eyes widened and the only reason he didn't crash into the parked car to his left was because Helga had moved to grab the steering wheel and had pulled them away from it. She cursed at him in shock, but his nose caught a whiff of something he didn't like. Helga's usual vanilla scent was mixed with a cologne he knew all too well. When had she gotten close enough to Sid in order to have his smell rub off on her?

Even though Arnold's eyes were focused on the road, his attention was somewhere completely different. He could feel his knuckles turn white due to how tightly he was holding the wheel. Image upon image of Sid holding Helga, kissing her and worse flashed through his mind. There was no room for logic, all he felt was jealousy and confusion.

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><p>Much like the last time they got home from Rhonda's party, it felt like it took forever before they reached their house. Arnold turned the car off and pulled his seatbelt off in a hurry while Helga was more slow in her movements. The way she was chewing on her lower lip told him she felt guilty. About what, was what he feared.<p>

Helga was barely inside the house before Arnold grabbed her hand and forced her to look at him. "Why do you smell like him?"

Helga's eyes widened. "What?"

"Sid's cologne, the one he makes himself and practically takes showers in… I can smell it." Arnold said, hoping Helga would tell him he was wrong, that he was overthinking things and that it was a misunderstanding. But she put her hand to her mouth in a guilty manner and the lump in his throat grew tighter. He pulled her closer to him by her hand and she looked at him somewhat fearfully. "I finally understand how you felt when Lila kissed me."

"Arnold - - " Helga said before he walked past her and pulled her up the stairs. She followed him dutifully, hoping that Miles and Miriam were already fast asleep. It was to the teens' luck that their parents' bedroom was far away from their own rooms, but that wasn't where Arnold was headed. Helga looked back in confusion when he walked past it and entered the bathroom instead.

Without letting go of Helga's hand, Arnold closed the door behind him, locked it within a second and grabbed at the hem of Helga's t-shirt. She lifted her arms obediently, despite her confusion, and watched him as he bend his knees and pulled her jeans off.

_This is… an interesting reaction_. Helga thought and couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going through Arnold's mind. Once she was stripped down, he grabbed her by her waist and hoisted her up in the bathtub. "Arnold, seriously. What are you doing?"

Arnold opened his own shirt and pulled it off his arms, which caused Helga to gulp in anticipation. "You cleaned me last time, now I'm cleaning you." He told her as he pulled his pants and boxers off.

"Cleaning?" Helga managed to question before Arnold turned the water on and she shrieked due to the cold feeling. Without a word, he adjusted the temperature and stepped into the tub with her. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, but he grabbed her and turned her around so he could clash his lips against her.

The moan Helga made when her mouth met Arnold's surprised her; she hadn't expected herself to react so strongly to a dominating situation. She was, after all, rather dominant herself so she had expected herself to get angry if anyone tried the same with her. But there was something in the way Arnold was kissing her with so much need and possessiveness that made her entire body shiver with excitement.

The water trickled down them both as they kissed. Helga responded with a certain fervor Arnold hadn't expected. Frankly, he hadn't expected any of this. These feelings of jealousy and possessiveness were foreign and yet familiar to him; he couldn't handle the thought of another guy's eyes, hands or mouth on Helga and whenever he remembered what must have happened while he was gone, he bit on her lower lip which elicited a shaky moan from her.

Arnold stopped the kiss only to reach behind Helga and grab the shower gel that was on the shelf behind her. "What did he do to you?" he asked as he squeezed the gel out of the tube.

"He took me by my neck." Helga answered with a panting voice and Arnold's hands were quick to go around her neck. Her head whipped backwards in pleasure as he massaged her neck, jaw and shoulders in a firm, but gentle way.

"Where else?" Arnold asked and his hands stilled.

"My, uh… n-nowhere else, honestly…" Helga admitted even though she had been tempted to lie and tell him Sid had touched him every else on her body.

"Then why do you smell so much like him?" Arnold asked and stepped closer to her, his face mere inches from hers.

"Uh… b-because he, um…" Helga stuttered and felt heat spread in her abdomen from the way the angered boy was looking at her. "He… kissed me." She admitted nervously, but also in expectation. The ways he had reacted so far were… _interesting_ to say the least.

Arnold's eyes widened in horror and the image of Sid kissing Helga out on the dance floor refused to leave his mind. With a sneer, he grabbed Helga by her hips and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist automatically and shrieked at the mix of pain and pleasure she felt when he entered her without any warning. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and expected him to start moving, but he stayed still.

"Why did he… Why did you let him kiss you?"

"I didn't…" Helga insisted. "He caught me by surprise and I… hit him with my forehead."

Arnold's eyes opened abruptly and he leaned back to shoot Helga a questioning look. "Is that why he was holding a glass against his forehead?"

Helga shrugged. "I warned him." She insisted and couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, Helga… why did you let me do this to you?" Arnold asked in shame.

"Because… I didn't want you to stop." Helga confessed with slightly flushed cheeks. She could still feel his pulsating flesh inside her and she sincerely hoped he would continue as soon as possible. He looked at her in obvious surprise, but then she bucked against him and he moaned before moving himself.

It didn't take long before both blondes were moaning in ecstasy, but Arnold insisted on saying one more thing. "Don't let Sid kiss you again, please."

"As long as you don't let Lila kiss _you_."

"How about we just don't kiss anyone else?"

"Deal." Helga agreed before she kissed him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Still don't know what to say! Hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be Christmas-related since… well, since it's now Christmas in this story xD Stay tuned :3**


	16. Play jingle balls

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "Leave the lights on"**

**In the last chapter:**_** Even after Arnold and Helga had made love for the first time, he hadn't gotten Helga's implied message the evening before, so she told him directly the next morning; she was in love with him.**_

_**The blondes were in complete bliss the next days until it was time for yet another Rhonda party. Much like the last party, one of the blondes ended up being hit on by someone they had no interest in and left early. It didn't take Arnold long to realize that Sid had made a bolder move than earlier and snapped in his jealousy. To his luck, his reaction was to Helga's liking and the misunderstanding was soon cleared when they made a deal of never kissing anyone else ever again.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Warning! This chapter may ruin your next Christmas xD I mean, look at the title!**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 16: "Play jingle balls"<span>

The sound of Brenda Lee singing _Rockin' around the Christmas tree_ echoed in the happy home of the soon-to-be Shortman Patakis. Helga and Arnold woke up to the horror or joy, depending on which teen you asked, of their house looking like Santa's village of the damned as Helga had called it. Everything was decorated in red, green, white or gold and you couldn't look anywhere without seeing either Christmas elves, reindeer, pieces of spruce and wadding used as fake snow for Christmas figurines to skate on.

Miriam was on this morning walking around, adding a new elf here and there as she hummed along with the song. She didn't notice Miles sneaking up on her until he grabbed her by her waist. She shrieked in surprise and held his hands and started dancing with him.

Helga and Arnold were walking down the stairs, laughing, when they saw Miles and Miriam dance from the dining room into the hallway and into the living room. The younger blondes stared at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Helga questioned with bugged eyes.

"I believe that was our parents pretending to be part of a Christmas cabaret." Arnold joked, which his stepsister laughed at. "I have a feeling our breakfast is to go."

"Works for me." Helga said and followed Arnold into the dining room. Surely enough the table was filled with Christmas themed dishes though mostly were pastries. Ever since the 1st of December, Miriam had been experimenting quite a lot.

"There's no way in hell Miriam made these on her own." Helga insisted as she grabbed a cinnamon roll.

"We'll get diabetes soon if she doesn't stop serving us nothing but pastries." Arnold stated even as he grabbed a cranberry scone.

"Don't worry about it; it's already the 22nd. Christmas is over soon." Helga said with a grin, took a scone with white chocolate on it and smeared it on the shorter blonde's mouth. He complained in a muffled voice, but it turned into a moan when she licked the chocolate off his lips and ate part of the scone in his mouth. She smirked as she chewed and he sighed in amusement.

The sound of their parents' happy voices made the teens turn to look and watch Miles and Miriam jive into the room. Miles let Miriam's torso fall backwards and she looked at her daughter with an upside-down grin. "Have fun at your last day of school, kids."

"And you have fun with your pre-coital dancing." Helga said before walking out of the room, pushing Arnold out of it as well. They left their lovesick, laughing parents behind and made their way to school as they ate their sugar-coated breakfast.

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><p>Since it was the last day of school for the year, Mrs. Oah decided to let her students celebrate by making small Christmas workshops in the classroom. Most of the day was spend creating decorations and chatting. By the end of the day, they exchanged Secret Santa presents. Well, not so <em>secret<em> since they did in fact offer the gifts publically to each other.

Helga and Arnold were coincidentally the last ones to receive their presents. Helga was currently in the middle of hugging and thanking Phoebe for the new pink notebook while Arnold was opening his own present. The first thing he saw was a dark red tie and he smiled as he took it in his hands.

"This is a really cool tie, Sid. Thank you." Arnold said with a grin, but then noticed something else in the green wrapping. He frowned as he realized what it was and Sid started laughing. Arnold picked the square package up and showed it to the others. "What is this doing here?"

"Hey, I wanted to give you something more interesting, but since you're so stubborn about keeping your girlfriend a secret, I didn't know what to get you two lovebirds!" Sid teased and rubbed his elbow against Arnold's arm. The blonde boy huffed in embarrassment and put the condom back in the wrapping. "Ribbed for her pleasure." Sid added.

Arnold groaned before he noticed that they had earned Helga's attention again. "For her pleasure, huh?" she asked curiously and grabbed the tie out of Arnold's hand. "Is the tie actually for _her_ pleasure as well?"

Sid nodded eagerly at Helga's question. "Well, if she's into that kind of stuff?" he asked curiously and wiggled his eyebrows at Arnold.

"What do you think, Arnold?" Helga asked with a smirk, waving the tie in front of her stepbrother's face. "Do you think _Hilda_ would be into this?"

_Why are you doing this?_ Arnold wondered in embarrassment. "I have a feeling I'm gonna find out soon…" he muttered before grabbing the tie out of Helga's hand, ignoring the way she was knowingly smirking at him.

"Oh, yeah…" Harold mumbled in awe. "As Arnold's stepsister, you must have met Hilda, right?"

The blondes stared at him in slight astonishment and Helga rolled her eyes. _Boys are so stupid_. She thought and shook her head. "Actually, no. He's told us whenever he's gone to her place, but none of us have actually ever met her." she answered casually.

"Man, you really insist on keeping this mystery girl to yourself. If I didn't know you weren't the type, I'd start thinking you made her up." Sid joked and the rest of the class laughed with him, including the blondes. The two blondes shot each other a secret smirk though.

* * *

><p>Arnold readjusted his new red tie around his neck and smiled at his reflection. He was dressed all in black except for the red tie and despite not usually being the kind of guy to wear so much dark clothing, he kind of liked the look. Though his opinion might be affected by the fact that Helga seemed to adore him in darker clothing.<p>

_I couldn't be more of a sucker if I was at the end of a stick_. Arnold thought as he grabbed a hair elastic and tied his hair into a ponytail. Once his hair was tied, he went out of his room and jogged down the stairs. He could smell the beef, mashed potatoes and gravy from the kitchen and was on his way inside until he caught sight of Helga in the middle of decorating the Christmas tree with Miriam.

While Miriam was dressed in what looked mostly like a green version of her usual favorite dress, Helga was dressed in a black cardigan and a dress that was as red as the bow that was holding her hair into a ponytail. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"It really is a shame that Olga couldn't be here…" Miriam said melancholically. "She really adored decorating the Christmas tree."

"What did you expect, Miriam? Olga's still in… whatever country she's still in, doing whatever she's doing right now." Helga said. "If it makes you feel any better, Bob is probably all alone right now."

"What a horrible thing to say, Helga!" Miriam cried in shock. "I don't wish for Bob to be alone. I just… don't want to be the one with him."

Helga smirked and rolled her eyes. She noticed Arnold and mouthed a silent cry of help to him when Miriam gave her yet another ornament.

Arnold chuckled as he approached the women. "Need any help?" he asked innocently.

Miriam smiled politely at him. "Actually, we're just fine - - "

"Yeah, thanks, Arnold." Helga interrupted and gave Arnold the Christmas ornament. "I'll help Miles in the kitchen for a bit, ok?" she told Miriam, patted Arnold's shoulder as a form of thank you and jogged towards the kitchen.

Miriam sighed in disappointment, but smiled appreciatively at Arnold. "We still have such a strained relationship…" she whispered and turned to look at the tree again.

Arnold felt a pang of guilt shoot through him as he hung the ornament on the tree. "She does love you, Miriam. Helga's just not… a girl who shows her feelings too often." He told her. He should know after all.

Miriam looked curiously at Arnold. "You really think so?" she asked to which he nodded. She smiled in content. "You two have gotten really close, huh?"

"Oh, uh… I-I guess I just… I've always wanted a sibling and Helga always wanted a, um - - "

"A sibling she could stand?" Miriam joked and chuckled kindly. "She and Olga never got along. I'm really happy to see that's not the case with you two. You fought a bit in the beginning, but that's in the past now, isn't it? Then again, Miles and I have been so busy planning the wedding that we haven't been paying an awful lot of attention to you kids. Who knows what's going on behind closed doors?"

Arnold laughed along with Miriam at what he knew had supposed to be a joke, but his laughter was obviously tense. To his luck, Miriam didn't notice whatsoever and he almost sighed in relief as he continued to decorate the tree with her. He could hear Helga and Miles talk in the kitchen, but no matter how much he strained his ears, he couldn't hear a single word.

Miles and Helga were in fact having a similar conversation to the one Miriam and Arnold had been having. Helga was grabbing the plates while Miles spoke to her about how he was sorry that he had been stealing Miriam from her so much to which Helga rolled her eyes in secret. As if she cared about that, especially with her new development with Arnold. She eased his worries and told him to focus as much on the wedding as possible. It was going to be the second wedding for the both of them so she wanted them to make it special. That's what Helga claimed at least.

The sound of the doorbell ringing almost caused Arnold to drop the ornament in his hand in excitement. "They're here!" he yelled happily, gave Miriam the ornament and stormed out of the living room.

Helga turned to smile at Miles. "He really loves his grandparents, doesn't he?"

"You can't blame him; they raised him after all." Miles said somewhat guiltily, but mostly he seemed grateful to even have a relationship with his son to this day. Helga patted his shoulder kindly, hoping he was less dense than Arnold and understood the silent message more than Arnold would have. If the way Miles was smiling meant anything, she had clearly gotten the message across.

Miles and Helga quickly washed and dried their hands, left the food and went to join their family in the living room. Even though Helga had often joined Arnold in his visits to Sunset Arms, she still felt strange around her step-grandparents. She had a strained relationship to her biological grandparents and she still wasn't used to the obvious affection they already harbored for her.

"Helga!" Gertie bellowed happily and ran faster than any woman her age should have been able to in order to hug the young blonde.

Helga shrieked at the woman's tight hold and chuckled nevertheless. "Nice to see you too, Gertie. Now please put me down, I'm dying here." She told her and the woman immediately put her down.

"There's my favorite granddaughter." Phil bellowed as he stretched his arms out to hug her.

She accepted the hug awkwardly, patting his back as she did so. "Merry Christmas, Phil."

"Oh, Helga. I keep telling you to call me grandpa." Phil said with a childish pout.

Helga laughed. "Sorry, grandpa." She answered even though she shivered on the inside. It just felt _wrong_ to call Phil grandpa, even more so since she usually didn't refer to people as what they were to her; she didn't even call Miriam mom. Also… these people _were_ Arnold's grandparents, the guy she was currently not only in love with, but having sex with. It was just downright awkward to call them grandparents.

Phil sniffed the air and smirked. "Do I smell beef?" he asked and clapped his hands in excitement.

Miles chuckled. "Yes, and you can come and help me in the kitchen."

"Ooh, good idea." Miriam said. "Arnold, why don't you go and help them and then us girls can stay in the living room and chat?"

"Girl talk?" Helga questioned in disbelief and shook her head. "Not gonna happen. I'm joining the men in the kitchen." She insisted and frowned at her own sentence. "Boy, that was a weird sentence. It really is a new world."

While the men and Gertie laughed at Helga's joke, Miriam frowned in disappointment. Gertie was quick to get her attention though and soon Miriam was smiling as they went to talk in the dining room.

"Would it be so horrible to sit and chat with your mom?" Arnold asked in a whisper as he and his stepsister followed Phil and Miles into the kitchen.

"You don't get it. That's fine." Helga said with a smile and patted his head.

He was about to insist that she should go with the women, when Phil whistled teasingly. "Look who got caught under the mistletoe." He joked and started laughing manically.

Both blonde teenagers looked up and saw Gertie hovering above them with a mistletoe in her hand, waving it mockingly. She was standing on a chair behind them, holding onto a book case to keep herself hoisted up and was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Grandma!" Arnold bellowed in embarrassment while Helga simply stared in awe. "Stop that! W-We're supposed to be stepsiblings! That would just be weird."

"Oh, come on, boy. I'm sure you can handle giving her a brotherly kiss." Miles joked, his shoulders visibly shaking with laughter.

"Little too late for the brotherly part…" Helga whispered to herself, but Arnold heard it and bopped his shoulder against her arm.

"Honey, you can accept a small peck on the cheek, can't you?" Miriam asked in excitement. They were all clearly thinking that the teenagers were merely shy because, well, they were friends after all, weren't they? And friends didn't kiss even if it was just on the cheek. They had no idea why the teens were actually embarrassed.

Helga groaned as if she was annoyed. "Oh, well. I _guess_ I can accept it if it's _just_ a peck on the cheek." She said as smiled at Arnold in a way that seemed tense, but he could see she was cracking up on the inside. He shot her a slanted look and felt everyone's eyes on them as he gave her the fastest kiss on the cheek he had ever given her.

"My God, boy! If you can't even kiss your own stepsister on the cheek without blushing like a school girl, how are you ever gonna get a girlfriend?" Phil cried dramatically and started laughing with the other grown-ups.

"Could we please just cook or eat or _something else_?!" Arnold huffed in embarrassment and frowned at Helga when she started snickering herself. _This is gonna be an interesting Christmas eve._

* * *

><p>After the family had dinner, they decided to open the presents before eating the dessert. While Helga and Arnold were sitting on one sofa together, Miles was sitting in the armchair with Miriam on his lap and Phil and Gertie were sharing the other couch.<p>

"Just so you know, I really wasn't sure if it was a good present or not." Helga informed honestly as Arnold eyed his present from her.

"Why not?"

"Oh, I don't know; maybe because giving someone a gift card is already kinda uncreative and I'm giving you a gift card to a _jeweler_ for a free cleaning of all things. I thought you'd be hesitant to deliver your mom's necklace with a stranger. But I swear; I trust him, even on a personal level."

"If he has your trust, Helga, he has mine as well." Arnold stated as he played with his talisman. "And it really could use a thorough cleaning now that I think about it. The gold is starting to get a little tarnished."

"I've noticed." Helga joked, which the others laughed at while Arnold stuck his tongue out at her.

"I guess all we're missing is your gift to Helga." Miriam said as excitedly as if it was her receiving the present.

Helga rolled her eyes, but smiled as Arnold offered her a gift wrapped in pink. "How fitting." She muttered teasingly as she unwrapped it.

There was a small box inside the wrapping and she eyed it curiously before she opened it. Inside was a silver chain in the perfect size for her wrist. She lifted the bracelet from the box and let it hang from her fingers. She observed it curiously as the silver shimmered in the light. The bracelet was thin, but robust and a heart was holding the chain together by the middle.

"It's a Pandora bracelet." Arnold explained. "You can buy all kinds of charms for it."

Without a word, Helga gave Arnold the bracelet and offered him her wrist. The blondes could hear the grown-ups talking excitedly and complimenting the bracelet, but they weren't listening. They felt as if they were in their own little world as he tied the bracelet around her wrist. His fingers grazed hers when he pulled his hands back and let her admire it.

The blonde girl had a sort of content smile on her face as she looked at Arnold. "Thank you." She said in something akin to a whisper and moved closer to him. The boy automatically closed his eyes, but they sprung back open when he realized she had wrapped her arms around him. He quickly hugged her back, wondering how he could have been so idiotic to have almost _kissed_ his stepsister in front of his family.

No harm done it seemed since Miriam merely grabbed at Helga's hand to observe the bracelet. "This is so pretty, Helga." She said happily.

"You did good, son." Miles complimented.

"I think it's time we have dessert." Phil said as his stomach rumbled. "Arnold, will you help your old grandpa carry the pumpkin pie in here?"

Arnold tilted his head curiously at the way his grandpa had phrased the request, Phil usually didn't consider himself an old and fragile man, but he nodded and stood up from the couch to follow him into the kitchen. "Should I take the pie or would you prefer if I took - - " he asked, but froze when Phil turned around and smirked at him knowingly. Arnold blinked. "What?"

"I saw that." Phil said in a singsong voice.

"Saw what?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me. You can fool your dad because he hasn't known you your whole life, but I have so you can't fool me!" Phil said dramatically. "I know that look of yours."

Arnold felt his heart tighten. "_What_ look?"

Phil flashed his eyelashes girlishly. "The _oh, God, isn't she amazing_ look."

Arnold blushed heavily. _No way… There's no way he figured it out._ "You-You're nuts!" he insisted in a frenzy and chuckled tensely. "I think you've had too much food."

"Don't blame this on the food, Shortman." Phil said with a groan when his stomach complained again. "I thought Pookie was just being her usual crazy self when she said that Cupid was swirling around the two of you, but now I see it myself!"

"Wait. _What_?!" Arnold bellowed a little loudly and looked nervously out of the kitchen. None of the family members were looking in his direction in curiosity, so he figured they hadn't heard him. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Well, after you and Helga had left the last time you visited us, Gertie started singing _Love is in the air_."

"Oh, God… G-Grandpa, I'm so sorry. This, we, I didn't mean for this to happen. I - - "

"Oh, relax!" Phil insisted and patted his grandson's shoulder a little roughly. "I'm on your side as always."

"Huh? How can you be on my side?" Arnold asked in disbelief. "Our parents are getting married."

"Hey," Phil said and leaned down until he was at Arnold's eyelevel. "I would rather Helga sticks with you than Miriam sticks with Miles."

Arnold's eyes widened in shock at first, but then he frowned. "Are you still that much against the marriage?" he asked.

"Of course I am!" he bellowed and looked into the oven. "I just don't trust the judgment of a woman who chose to be married to someone like Bob Pataki for so many years."

"Grandpa, I know you and Bob never got along, but - - " Arnold said, but held his tongue when he saw the warning look Phil shot him. "I know you've always hated him with a burning passion." He corrected. "But Miriam really has changed. I mean, uh, you should see how hard she's trying and dad loves her."

"Yeah, yeah. Can I ask you something, Shortman?" Phil asked as he grabbed the mittens and took the pie out of the oven. "Have you seen Miriam drink any smoothies?"

Arnold stared at his grandpa in shock. "How do you know about those?"

"Everyone in Hillwood with eyes knows! It wasn't a well-kept secret. The only reason Miles knows nothing about it is because he was gone for so many years."

Arnold blinked, processing this new information. "Then… Well, she hasn't been having any in fact!"

"_Really_?" Phil asked skeptically.

"Really! Helga told me; Miriam swore not to drink anymore after dad proposed." Arnold informed and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Well, would you look at that." Phil said somewhat skeptically and put the pie on the desk. He was frowning thoughtfully. "I will still always be on _your_ side, Shortman." He insisted and caressed his hair teasingly. "So whenever you and Helga need a break from your looney parents, you can come visit your looney _grandparents_."

Arnold blushed at the way Phil was winking at him knowingly. "Grandpa…" he scolded lightheartedly, but sighed in relief when he realized how big a load it was to get off his chest. Even though Miles and Stella were his parents, Phil and Gertie had raised him after all, and somehow it had felt much more difficult to indirectly lie to them than it was to lie to Miles and Miriam. "Thank you."

"Hey, did Miriam put glue in the pumpkin pie again or something?" Helga asked as she appeared in the doorframe. "Why are you taking so long?"

"Oh, we were just having a man-to-man talk." Phil said with a big grin and walked past her.

Helga looked at the elderly man curiously before turning to look at Arnold. "What was that about?"

"Grandpa and grandma knows." Arnold answered truthfully.

Helga's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

"And they're on our side…"

"_What_?" Helga questioned skeptically and moved closer to Arnold so he could whisper in her ear.

"He even said we could go to their place whenever we needed it."

Helga lifted a curious eyebrow. "So, Phil basically just offered us a pied-à-terre for our rendezvous?" she asked with a smirk.

"A what for our what?" Arnold asked in confusion.

Helga put her hand on his cheek and leaned closer to his ear. "A secret haven for lovers to meet in secret." She whispered and a shiver ran down his spine.

"_Helga_…" He scolded halfheartedly for the way she was making him feel deliberately.

The girl merely snickered though before pecking his cheek once. "Merely a sisterly peck." She stated teasingly before giving him a zealous kiss on the mouth.

* * *

><p>"Oh, my. It really is getting late." Miriam said as the grandfather clock chimed twelve.<p>

"We'll take you home." Miles said to Phil and Gertie.

"No, no. We walked over here. We can also walk back." Phil insisted stubbornly like he usually did whenever people hinted that he was too old to do something.

As the two men started a small discussion, Helga nudged her elbow against Arnold's arm and gestured for him to intervene. "Oh, let dad drive you and grandma home." He begged. "It's not a long way home, but it's late."

"Are you saying we can't protect ourselves?"

"What? No - - "

"Because if anyone needs protection it would be the people attacking _us_." Phil insisted. "Ain't that right, Pookie?"

Gertie didn't answer, but simply grabbed her coat and ran out of the dining room. "Last one in the space ship gets no space food!" she bellowed manically.

"How can you still eat, woman?!" Phil asked before following her outside and eventually in the space ship aka the car.

"Would you two like to come with us?" Miriam asked while they all walked into the hallway.

"No thank you; I'm too tired to go anywhere." Arnold yawned.

"I'm pooped too." Helga agreed. "I think I'll be fast asleep once you guys get home."

"Me too."

Miriam cooed teasingly. "Then you kids go to sleep." She said and followed Miles out of the door.

Helga yawned as the door moved, but the yawn ceased as soon as it hit the doorframe. "You're not really tired, are you?"

"No."

"Good." Helga stated before grabbing Arnold by his tie. "Because I would really like to find out if I'd be into that tie."

Arnold chuckled breathlessly before Helga pulled him into a kiss that truly took his breath away. Unwilling to truly let go, she led him up the stairs by pulling him by the tie. They went into his room and Helga locked the door, just in case, and pushed Arnold down on the bed. The blonde boy sat quietly, looking at the blonde girl in awe as she let the black cardigan on her shoulders slide down her arms.

The smoldering stare she was giving him send his heart galloping. "Take your tie off." she ordered gently, but firmly. Without taking his eyes off her, he started untying the knot around his neck. She slipped the straps of her red dress down her shoulders and let the fabric fall down to the floor which caused Arnold to moan at the sight of what was a black silk bustier with sheer side panels and the most gorgeous lace trim on the girl's body. He tore the tie off his neck and gave it to her.

Helga observed the tie as her hands played with it. "Oh, the many possibilities this tie has." She said and bit on her lower lip. Arnold gulped at her words. "Was that a nervous gulp or an excited one?"

"Both." Arnold admitted unhesitant.

Helga leaned down, put her hand on his neck and kissed him tenderly. As soon as she felt him relax, she removed her lips from his. "Do you trust me?" she asked seriously, but with a smile.

Arnold didn't even have to think about it; he nodded instantly, licking his lips in expectation when he saw mischief flash in her diamond blue eyes. She crouched in front of him and pulled his shoes and sock off. She then gestured for him to move further across the bed and while he did that, she took her own shoes off.

Once Arnold was sitting near his pillow, Helga straddled him and pushed at his chest until he felt the soft cushion under his head. "Lift your arms." She ordered and he moved his hands above his head. As she tied the tie around his wrists and around the bedpost, he felt a sort of tense excitement course through him. Helga usually took charge, but this was different and to his surprise, he discovered that he liked it a little too much.

Once Arnold's hands were securely tied, she tugged at them experimentally. "Is it too tight?" she asked, but he shook his head. With a smile, she moved her arms behind her head and used both of her hands to untie the bow she had wrapped around her ponytail and let her blonde locks fall down her shoulders and back.

Arnold sighed. "I really love your hair…" he said in awe.

Helga smiled shyly and leaned down, running her fingers through his hair and successfully loosening his ponytail as well. "And I love yours." She responded and ran both hands through the tuffs. "It's so soft."

Arnold smiled shyly as Helga kissed him sweetly. He marveled in the feeling for a moment before her lips disappeared from his again. When he was about to open his eyes, he felt some soft fabric land over his face. He tried blinking, but ceased that action immediately when he felt the fabric tighten around his head.

"Uh, Helga… is that your bow?"

"Yeah. Sorry, but like I said; there were too many opportunities with that tie of yours and I couldn't choose between these two."

"But I can't see you this way." Arnold complained with a pout.

_That's kinda the point_. Helga thought and rolled her eyes before letting her breasts touch his chest and she felt him jolt against her skin. "Think of it this way… with one of your senses gone the others get stronger." She told him and glided her body over his until her mouth was next to his ear. "Imagine how much stronger you can feel me like this."

Arnold both shivered, groaned and bucked altogether after hearing those words. He then chuckled breathlessly. "Hey, can I confess something?"

"Sure." Helga replied curiously.

"Or maybe it's more of a question… Is it weird that I feel kind of… _naughty_ for doing this on Christmas eve of all times?"

Helga couldn't help but giggle at Arnold's question and kissed his cheek adoringly. "Not really… but it is a family holiday, you know, so I don't think that we're doing anything _too_ unconventional."

"I think that sentence was full of contradictions." Arnold pointed out with a smirk. Helga rolled her eyes before leaning down and kissing him again. Her tongue licked his lips as her fingers slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt. She could hear him sigh through his nose once the cold air hit his bare torso and her hands ran down his creamy skin.

Helga leaned up and eyed Arnold's chest. "Boy, you're covered with them."

"With what?"

"With proofs of what we've been doing lately." Helga explained and leaned down, circling a particularly dark hickey near Arnold's hipbone. "I need to stop doing that; you'll end up with scars." She joked before letting her tongue lick from his navel and up to his chin, ending it with a kiss. The boy shivered once more, struggled against the tie for a small moment and heard her chuckle. "That didn't take long."

"What didn't?"

"For you to get impatient." Helga clarified and was about to kiss him again when she heard the door downstairs open. She sat up and turned to look towards the door as she heard walking. She looked down at Arnold for a moment, confirming that he was completely unaware that their parents had just returned home. She kept listening and frowned when she heard moaning. _Oh, dear God, no_. She thought and leaned down to kiss Arnold, hoping she could distract herself from what she was hearing outside.

Arnold seemed blissfully unaware as he kissed Helga back with a certain fervor that helped her forget what was going on outside their room. She held back a moan when she heard another moan outside and then some more walking. Once she heard a door open and close further down the hall, she sighed in relief.

"Was that the door?" Arnold questioned, having obviously heard the hard slam.

"Yeah, our parents just got home." Helga informed and Arnold struggled against the bindings again, clearly going nervous for a moment. "Don't worry, they are already in their bedroom."

"Huh? How did they get there so fast?"

"Because they couldn't wait to play jingle balls." Helga joked and couldn't help but snicker even as Arnold frowned in disgust at her joke. She bit her lower lip before leaning closer to him. "_And all through the house, not a creature was stirring…_ none except the parents and their children decking the halls and - - "

"Helga!" Arnold keened, but the sound turned into a harsh moan when Helga's hand landed on his growing bulge. _An interesting Christmas eve indeed!_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ok! Before anyone asks: "Is it only gonna be about sex from now on?" then no, don't worry – or too bad, depending on what you were hoping for xD There's just been a lot of sexual stuff for these next chapters, but I swear the rest of the story isn't going to be just an exploration of their love life xD**


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